Global Security Politics
SPS
"Solar power satellites" that would be located in the Glazer ring. The solar collectors would be miles wide, collecting energy at a single point and beaming it down to Earth in microwavable energy. This is being seriously considered, but it is difficult to predict the total cost of these projects, as the scale is so much larger than we're used to.
Rajneeshee
1984 attack was the food poisoning of 751 ppl in Oregon. Deliberate contamination of sald bars at ten local restaurants with salmonella. Group of Rajneeshees had hoped to incapacitate the voting pop. of the city so that their own candidates would win the 1984 Wasco County elections. Single largest bioterrorist attack in US history. On of only tow confirmed terrorist uses of BW to harm humans since 1945.
Rosebury-Kabat Report
50 pg long, beings w, instructive comparisons between chem and bio weapons. Rosebury and Kabat observed that both chem and BW, agents, invisible, intangible and diffused over large areas might have psychologically frightening effects on civilians. In addition, chems and pathogens can equally poison the body and cause sickness and death. ID six distinctive features of BW and assert that the airplane is the most effective delivery system for a bio agent. Believed in the investigation of BW for defensive purpose and deterrence.
Stepnogorsk
A BW facility in N Kazakhstan that was once the world's largest BW dev. and production facility, with a nominal annual production capacity of 300 tons of agent. Est. in 1964, but under a Cooperative threat Reduction agreement between America and Kazakhstan, about $3 mil has been allocated for the dismantling of military centers, including the one at Step.
Wernher von Braun
A German rocket scientist and aerospace engineer who was on of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during WWII, and subsequently, in the US. He is called the "Father of Rocket Science." He was responsible for he design and realization of the V-2 combat rocket during WWII.
V-2 Rocket
A ballistic missile developed during WWII that uses a fuel developed by Wernher von Braun, which is a mixture of kerosene and oxygen. This was the first known human artifact to enter outer space, and was the progenitor of all modern rockets.
Unit 731
A covert Bio and chem warfare research and dev. nit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Jap War and WWII. Responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Jap. It has been postulated that one reasons the scientists were not tried was that the info and experience gained in the studies of BW was of great value to US, who couldn't do same human testing.
cyborgs
A cyborg (short for "cybernetic organism") is a theoretical or fictional being with both organic and biomechatronic parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.[1] D. S. Halacy's Cyborg: Evolution of the Superman in 1965 featured an introduction which spoke of a "new frontier" that was "not merely space, but more profoundly the relationship between 'inner space' to 'outer space' - a bridge...between mind and matter."[2] The term cyborg is not the same thing as bionic and often applied to an organism that has restored function or enhanced abilities due to the integration of some artificial component or technology that relies on some sort of feedback.[3][4] While cyborgs are commonly thought of as mammals, they might also conceivably be any kind of organism and the term "Cybernetic organism" has been applied to networks, such as road systems, corporations and governments, which have been classed as such. The term can also apply to micro-organisms which are modified to perform at higher levels than their unmodified counterparts. It is hypothesized that cyborg technology will form a part of the future human evolution.
K-T Boundary
A geological signature that marks the end of the Cretaceous period, and the mass extinction that is considered to be the demise of the dinosaurs. This is now attributed to asteroid impact, though it wasn't considered as a possibility until 1980. That much iridium in that layer of the Earth could have come from asteroid collision. ALso evident in this thin bank is the heat from friction and stress differential that occurred.
The International Space Station
A habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars. The ownership and sue of the station is est. by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.
ricin
A highly toxic, naturally occurring carbohydrate-binding protein. A dose the size of a few grains of table salt can kill and adult human. The US investigated ricin for its military potential during WWI and WWII. The SU also possessed weaponized ricin. Given ricin's extreme toxicity and utility as an agent of bio/chem warfare, it is important to note that he production of the toxin is difficult to limit. Under the 1972 BWC, ricin is listed as a schedule 1 controlled substance.
species radiation
A phrase to describe the effects of human colonization of space; this operates on two levels. First, is the idea of humans radiating out into the universe, and increasing the amount of space that they occupy. The seconds is that the different levels of solar radiation in space will cause different species to form, and diverge from the set of human genetic material on Earth.Cole and Dyson Diasporas
Trojan horses
A non-self-replicating type of malware, which appears to a perform a desirable function but instead drops a malicious payload, often including a backdoor allowing unauthorized access to the target's computer, which tend to be invisible to average users. They do not attempt to inject themselves into other files like a virus, but instead steal information or harm their host computer systems.
binary biological weapons
A plague that would be resistant to multiple antibiotics, and non-virulent in its stored form. could be easily converted into a deadly antibiotic-resistant form when needed for weaponization. Benign bacterial plague cells would be mixed with virulence-enhancing plasmids immediately before loading on a weapons, and the transformation would take place in a small bioreactor on the weapon itself.
"Common Heritage of Mankind" (CHM)
A principle of international law that holds that defined territorial areas and elements of humanity's common heritage should be held in trust for future generations and be protected from exploitation by individual nation states or corporations. Outer space is considered part of the global commons, so the challenge presented is how its resources can be fairly utilized by all the world's citizens. The CHM pushes for res Public--all own as one--order of law for territorial commons, as it would protect developing countries.
'blowback'
A term used on Western front in WWI, refers to problem that occurs when you fire artillery shells filled with poisonous gases, but the wind shifts and affects your own troops. Highlights the problems with bio and chem weapons in tactical use. partial reason why this was never internalized by military.
'Panama Hypothesis'
A theory of astropolitics proposed by Dandridge Cole in 1963, in which he compares the existence of Panama as a location of great geopolitical importance to the US to the coming situation in space. He states that there are strategic ares in space--vital to future scientific, commercial and military space programs--which could be excluded from our use through occupation and control by unfriendly powers. This statement i s based on the assumption that in colonizing space, man will compete for the most desirable ares.
1925 Geneva Protocol
A treaty preventing the first use of chemical and biological weapons. Prohibits the use of these weapons, but has nothing to say about production, storage, or transfer, which is what later led to the 1972 BWC. Many countries declared that these obligations would cease to apply if the prohibited weapons were used against them. This was in response to the use of chlorine and mustard gas in WWI.
albedo and SRM
Albedo is the reflecting power of a surface, and depends on the frequency of the radiation; the less reflective a surface, the more heat absorbed. Solar radiation management projects are a largely theoretical type of geo-engineering, which seek to reflect sunlight and thus reduce global warming. There have been several proposed ideas for terrestrial albedo modification to reflect solar radiation, such as cool roofing, reflective sheeting, and ocean changes. "Global dining" would be the most likely way, which occurs naturally when volcanoes explode, but can be manipulated by geo-engineers adding aerosols to the atmosphere.
intelligence explosion
An "intelligence explosion" is theoretical scenario in which an intelligent agent analyzes the processes that produce its intelligence, improves upon them, and creates a successor which does the same. This process repeats in a positive feedback loop- each successive agent more intelligent than the last and thus more able to increase the intelligence of its successor - until some limit is reached. This limit is conjectured to be much, much higher than human intelligence.
Ray Kurzweil
An American computer scientist and futurist that has written books on artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and singularity. He proposed the Law of Accelerating Returns, (part of the Singularity Movement) which states that the rate at which innovations are occurring is accelerating, and the point on his graph at which innovation (plotted against time) becomes vertical is technological singularity - innovations continuously self-improve until they are constantly and infinitely improving. He is also the head engineer of GoogleX that has around 100 top-secret projects researching artificial intelligence and recently bought Watson from IBM. Believes that artificial intelligence is good because one day machines will be able to make all these positive innovations.
Dr. Bruce Ivins
An American microbiologist, cavvinologist, senior biodefesne researcher and the key suspect in teh 2001 anthrax attacks. Died of an apparent suicide after learnign that criminal charges were likely to be filed agisnt him by the FBI for te death of 5 ppl and injury of dozens of others, resulting from the mailin gof several anonymous letters to members of Congress and the media that contained anthrax, patiorot tryign to warn of dangerous of BW in post 9/11 terror frenzy.
Fort Detrick
An Army Medical Command installation in Frederick, MD. IT was the center of the American BW program from 1943-69. Since the discontinuation of the program, it has hosted most elements of the US Bio def. program. Supports a multi-goernmental community that conducts biomes. research and dev, medical material management, global med. communication and sthe study of foreign plant pathogens.
Tunguska
An asteroid that hit Siberia in 1908, destroying a huge forest with an impact measured at 10 MMT of energy. This is bout 1,000 times more powerful that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. This event was important in sparking discussion of asteroid deflection strategies, to prevent serious damage and destruction to Earth.
denial of service attacks
An attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. The means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, but it generally consists of efforst to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the internet. Perpetrators typically target sites or services hosted on high-profile web servers such as banks, credit card payment gateways, and othe rroot name servers. These attacks are consdiered violations of the Internet proper use policy, and commonly constitute violations of the laws of individual nations.
endemic vs epidemic vs pandemic
An endemic occurs in a pop. when there is a constant amount of infection present. The numbers infected remain substantially the same, and the disease is capable of passing from person to person. An epidemic occurs when new cases of infection exceed substantially what is normally expected in a pop. This requires high levels of infection that eventually level out and fall back. Fora pandemic to occur, there must be a completely new disease that emerges and can be transmitted globally.
disease surveillance
An epidemiological practice by which the spread of disease is monitored in order to est. patterns of progression. Main role is to predict, observe, minimize the harm caused by outbreak, epidemic and pandemic situations, as well as increase knowledge about which factors contribute to such circumstances. Key part of modern disease surveillance is the practice of disease case reporting.
geo-engineering
An idea in Fuller earth that claims we need some alterations on earth due to climate change, and proposes the creation of artificial environment projects. For example, solar radiation management, and artificial water and weather systems. These artificial systems would be large-scale, capital intensive, highly vulnerable and have dual-use possibilities, making them highly controversial and a risk to invest in. Fuller's concept was based on the idea of Geodesic Earth: finding the lines that connect all natural systems together, and trying to make them the most efficient.
Moon Treaty of 1976
An international treaty that turns jurisdiction of all celestial bodies over to the international community, thus requiring that all activities conform to international law. The Moon should be used for befit of all states and all peoples of the international community; also, the Moon should not become a source of international conflict. Technically a failed treaty, since it has not been ratified by any nation that engages in self-launched a manned space expiration, so has little effect on actual space flight.
ASAT
Anti-Satellite Weapon. Limited Ballistic Missile Defense = robust ASAT → easy to shoot down one because in predictable paths moving at very high speeds and typically very fragile. Can be destroyed through nuclear weapons, co-orbital system (satellite goes into orbit and explodes and destrofys it), direct descent, or lasers.
broadcast vs narrowcast
B is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio or visual mass comm. medium, using electromagnetic radiation. Narrow is the spread of info to a narrow audience, not public. Aim message at specific segments of public defined by values, preferences, or demographic attributes.
ABM, BMD and NMD
BMD, ballistic missile defense, is any system, weapon or tech. involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. An ABM is an anti--ballistic missile, a missile designed to counter ballistic missiles (which are used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological, or conventional warheads) for dense. NMD, national missile defense, is a generic term for a type of missile defense intended to shield an entire country against incoming missiles, such as ICBMs or other ballistics missiles. The US has a nationwide antimissile program which has been in dev. since the 1990s, but is limited in scope.
'dumb' vs 'smart' vs 'brilliant' weapons
Before smart weapons we had dumb weapons; bombs were dropped out of airplanes, which was inaccurate. This was exemplified in WWII, when we focused on high-value industrial targets, but he bombs missed these, which led us to bomb cities. The Persian gulf War in 1991 was the beginning of a new type of warfare, bc of the extent to which the American military forces relied on precession bombing. The aircraft would "paint" the target (laser), then release the bomb so that it would hit more accurately. This developed more in the Afghan war, where B52s would out GPS transponders and finds on dumb bombs to help guid them. TERCOM cruise missiles use sensors to detect terrain and adjust their flight pattern. FInally, automatic target recognition brings weapons from smart to brilliant. We tell them "truck" and they then acquire the object, hone in, and destroy the target.
The Rocket Societies
Beginning in the late 1920s, spaceflight enthusiasts banded together into groups to advance their cause. These "rocket societies" especially flourished in Russia, Germany, and the United States. Most quickly moved toward developing the one technology that pointed a way into space: the liquid-fuel rocket. The rocket societies spun off the first groups of professional rocket engineers in corporations and government laboratories. With the world again edging toward war, they inevitably worked on weapons. By the end of World War II in 1945, rocket technology had reached a state of maturity. This explosion of space fantasy in the 1920s and '30s was a double-edged sword for spaceflight advocates. It inspired young people to believe in the possibility of space travel but convinced many adults that the idea was absurd.
biological weapons vs. toxins
Bw are living organisms or replicating entities that reproduce or replicate within their host victims. May be employed in various ways to gain a strategic or tactical advantage, either by threats or actual deployment. Toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-mad substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded. They can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact or absorption by body tissues. Vary greatly in their severity.
Bogota Declaration
Countries located at the Earth's equator have also asserted their legal claim to control the use of space above their territory,[15] notably in 1976, when many countries located at the Earth's equator created the Bogota Declaration, in which they asserted their legal claim to control the use of space above their territory.[16]
'fog of war'
Clausewitz. The uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. Makes it impossible to perfectly plan. Captures the uncertainty regarding one's own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent. Caused by limits of reconnaissance, much of the modern military's tech. efforst seek to reduce the fog of war.
'system of systems'
Collection of task oriented or dedicated systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to create new, more complex systems which offer more functionality and performance. Data fusion systemPart of the revolution of military affairs, leads to information dominance
Res communis vs. res publica
Communis: 1. Land owned and controlled by the state or federal government. 2. The condition of not being protected by a patent or copyright and therefore being available to the public for use without charge. Publica: Res publica usually is something held in common by many people. For instance a park or garden in the city of Rome could either be 'private property' (res privata), or managed by the state, in which case it would be part of the res publica.[2]
anthrax
Disease, most forms of which are lethal, affects both humans and animals. Does no spread directly from one to another, spread thru spores, making it an effective BW. Weaponized anthrax was part of US stockpile before 1972, when US signed the BWC. One of the most famous inciedents of bioterror attacks was the 2001 anthrax attacks in the US.
catalytic strike
Describes the invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration in 2003. This is called catalytic bc it was in response to the biological and chemical attacks before--like the anthrax attacks in 2001. Also, bc of the lack of faith in the BWC regime. Iraq had a chemical weapons program before, and the Soviet's Biopreparat program.
Earth net
Earth control has been the main goal of space exploration--the est. of an apparatus called the Earth Net. THe notion behind this is that whoever controls space (earth orbital space) controls the earth. THis is a continuation of military geopolitical thinking that we had before. Like the past idea of Mahan's focus on the ocean, that whoever got sea faring vessels would control the state system; we can take this approach and apply it to space. It is axial in the sense that it is of such significance that it will dominate the entire system. It is integral in the sense that it might tend to consolidate into the hands of one actor.
'Ecological Imperialism'
Ecological imperialism is the ideology that European settlers were successful in colonization due to their introduction of animals, plants, and disease to the new territories. The many pathogens they carried with them adversely affected the native population of North America, Australia, and Africa, and were far more destructive than weaponry: it is estimated that disease wiped out up to 90 percent of indigenous people in some locations.[1] Ecological imperialism also argues that the disregard colonists had for the environments they were invading upset the natural balance of the established ecological system.
gravity wells
Every body in space has a gravity well, the area around the mass in which the force of its gravity is of major significance. The more massive the body, the deeper the well and the more force must be used to escape from its surface. For example, the earth's well is twenty-two times deeper than the moon's, so it takes considerable less energy to move from the moon's surface to geosynchronous orbit than it does to reach that orbit from each, despite the much shorter distance.
Biological Weapons Convention of 1972
First multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of an entire category of weapons. It prohibits the development, production, and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons, however these is an absence of any formal verification regime to monitory compliance, which limits its effectiveness. Fidler and Gostin would argue that this is an example of a failed policy--there is no guarantee that states that signed will uphold their promises. This highlights the issue of transparency and verification in the BW regime.
GEO
Geosynchronous orbit, the second are of Region 1 (near-earth orbit). It has an equatorial orbit about 22,300 miles high, and an object placed there will remain stationary relative to a point on earth--it will remain there indefinitely at little cost in fuel. It is already a crowded orbit, filled with communication and resource-sensing satellites.
Moore's 'Law'
Gordon Moore was the founder of Intel, which is stil one of the largest chip manufacturrers on the planet. Predicted that every 1.5 yrs, there woauld be a doubling in teh amount of transistors that you could fit inot one space. Has held true. Miniaturization of tech. is expected to keep running for the next 25-30 yrs, suggesting profound possibilites on the horizon of developpment.
Alan Turing
Helped to crack the Nazi code Enigma in WWII and also helped build the worlds first mainframe computers using vacuum tubes, ENIAC in 1952, MANIAC 1953. He also developed Universal Software which is still largely the basis for most operating systems today.
IEDs
Improvised explosive device = homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. May be constructed of conventional mil. explosives attached to a detonating mechanism. Roadside bombs are common uses. May be used in terror actions or unconventional warfare by guerilla forces. Major cause of casualties in the 2001-present Afghan War.
The Apollo Program
In 1961 Russia sent Yuri Gagarin into space and complete an orbit around Earth. JFK in the same year announced goal of going to the moon through the Apollo Program and send him back before the end of the decade (accomplished July '69).
Ken Alibek
In 1983, was appointed director of the research team that developed the SU's most powerful weapons-grade anthrax at the Stepnogorsk BW facility. He was the First Deputy Director of Biopreparat. In 1992, defected to the US, now actively participates in the development of biodefense strategy for the US gov.
Law of Accelerating Returns
In futures studies and the history of technology, accelerating change is a perceived increase in the rate of technological (and sometimes social and cultural) progress throughout history, which may suggest faster and more profound change in the future. While many have suggested accelerating change, the popularity of this theory in modern times is closely associated with various advocates of the technological singularity, such as Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil.
fomites
Intentionally trying to infect others with diseases. Although people didn't know how diseases were really spread, they did try. They threw corpses into cities that had died to to plague. Pungi sticks were used to infect hose who would step on them. A fomite is any inanimate object that can transfer and infectious organism and can be used to transfer to another person. Examples of these are needles and HIV, or doorknobs that can carry bacteria and viruses. Need to be disinfected.
midcourse interception
Intercept. missile in space after the rocket burns out. Adv: extended decision/intercept time. Very large geographic defensive coverage, potentially continental. Disadvant.: requires large/ heavy ABMs and sophisticated powerful radar, which must often be augmented by space-bases sensors. Must handle potential space-based decoys.
boost phase interception
Intercepting a missile while its rocket motors are firing, usually over the launch territory. Advantages: THe bright, hot rocket exhaust makes detection, discrimination, and targeting easier. Decoys cannot be sued during boost phase. Disadvantages: dif. to geographically position interceptors to intercept missiles in boost phase, short time for interception.
terminal interception
Intercepting the missile after it reenters the atmosphere. Adv: smaller/ lighter AM required. Very short intercept time. Less defended geographic coverage. Possible blanketing of target area with hazardous materials in the case of NW detonation. "last ditch" Collateral damage because closer to own airspace, layered. Essentially, with terminal interception nobody wins. The enemies weapon didn't work to its potential and the home country still incurs some damage. Begs the question: does ABM really make the country safer?
Aum Shinrikyo
Japanese doomsday cult founded by Shoko Asahara in 1984. It gained international notoriety when it carried out the deadly Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for another smaller sarin attack the previous year. Aum Shinrikyo has been formally designated a terrorist organization by several countries, including Canada,[1] Kazakhstan,[2] and the United States.[3]
space based 'force multipliers'
Mostly satellites or command centers where you're able to coordinate forces on Earth. The ability of space-based sensors to maximize defended areas through earlier tracking of missiles. Includes the development of satellites like the KH-11, which highlights the geodetic nature of many space based programs— there is still an earth centric view, as these space based force multipliers contribute to increased lethality and accuracy of weapons meant to attack earth based enemies. Because of the transparency and accuracy revolutions, there was a huge fear in the 1970's that these space based force multipliers would increase incentive to strike first, and wipe out an enemy's entire arsenal. They also present a dual use problem. GPS is civilian, but also a force multiplier, it helped develop the smart bombs that were dropped by B-52's.
network vs command warfare
Network Warfare is a new style of warfare that seeks to translate an information advantage, enabled in part by information technology, into a competitive advantage through the robust computer networking of well informed geographically dispersed forces. The idea emerged in 1996 from Admiral William Owens's 'system of systems,' (See Cohen reading). This differs from Command Warfare which is the traditional style of top down communication and orders in the military.
stealth technologies
Often also called LO tech. (Low Observation tech) Encompasses a range of tech. used w/ personnel, aircraft, ships, subs, and missile to make them less visible to various detection methods. They are a means to camouflage for thse parts of hte electromagnetic spectrum. It refers to tech. that enable aircrafts to have "coatings" that can absorb and lower radar visibility in order to reduce vulnearbility from SAM defense system. The vertical fin on the back is usually easily visible on radar, but if removed, the craft will by aerodynamically unstable. To do this we need coatins, such as rubberized paints, which instead of reflecting radar systesms, absorb. Ideally want to get rid of everything that sticks out, but there are only so many alterations you can make. Not actually good planes, only usufu las stealth, completely useless if radar gets better.
space debris
Orbital debris is an inevitable consequence of humanity's usage of space: every launch creates some amount of space pollution, for example, defunct satellites, bolts, and even paint flecks.Due to high speeds attained by orbiting objects, even tiny bit of debris can collide with and seriously damage or destroy spacecraft. In 2001, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), developed a set of voluntary debris mitigation guidelines that might be adopted by the committee and the UN at large a s away to limit debris released during normal space operations.
Normalcy bias
People won't take threats they haven't experienced yet seriously. (Artificial intel, space, etc)
Space Resources Inc.
Planetary Resources, Inc., formerly known as Arkyd Astronautics, is an American company that was formed in November 2010,[1] and reorganized and renamed in 2012. Their stated goal is to "expand Earth's natural resource base"[2] by developing and deploying the technologies for asteroid mining. Although the long-term goal of the company is to mine asteroids, its initial plans call for developing a market for small (30-50 kg) cost-reduced space telescopes for both Earth observation and astronomy. These spacecraft would employ a laser-optical system for ground communications,[citation needed] reducing payload bulk and mass compared to conventional RF antennas.[not verified in body] The deployment of such orbital telescopes is envisioned as the first step forward in the company's asteroid mining ambitions. The same telescope satellite capabilities that Planetary Resources hopes to sell to customers can be used to survey and intensively examine near-Earth asteroids.
hacking
Process of seeking out and exploiting weaknesses in a computer system or computer network. Hacker may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, challenge.
Bioshield Initiative
Project Bioshield Act passed by US COngress in 2004, jcalling for $5 bil for purchasing vaccines that would be used in the event of a bioterror attack. 10-year program to acquire medical countermeasures to bio, chem, radilogical, nuclear agents for civvilian use. SInce the 2001 anthrax attacks, US gv has allocated nearly $50 bil to address thereat of bio weapons. Funding also goes toward stockpiling protective equipment, increased surveillance and detection of bio agentts and imporving state and hispital preparedness.
'hit, see, destroy'
Proponents of RMA say we can now dispel the "fog of war." The transparency revolution and accuracy revolution can be brough tdown onto the battlefield. Transformation in our ability to see si major leverage. The first person to use this language was a member of the SOviet general staff, General Ogorkov. In 1985, started talking about long-range precession strike forces, which can alter a conventiional battlefield. Embodies the idea of the RMA. Issues still exist, for example target discrimination and physical limitations. This also ups the anti, bc if we can see and destroy v. quickly, the benefits of first strike become very tempting.
Species migration
Rather than propagating species radiation (in which humans should expand and actually evolve and mutate), species migration is more closely linked with the Von Braun paradigm and less based on the concept of a shared "goal" or path for humans. Species migration focuses on the multiple threats to species extinction--so spreading out of humans to other spaces, so that if things go wrong on each, everyone won't die.
Tsiolkovsky
Russian/ Soviet scientist who pioneered rocket propulsion and concepts of space travel used by well known scientists like Goddard and Wernher von Braun. The development of heavy rocket systems picked up pace after WWII and it is upon this basis that technologies like ICBM's and (eventually) space launches were able to be pursued in the future. There was a huge jump between the early 1940s to the 1960s, where we went from no rockets to many rockets. At first, the U.S. and Soviets worked off of Nazi progress made with the V-2 rocket, but eventually this technology was used to develop ballistic missiles and from this then went on to be used to put things in orbit.
'smart borders'
Salter reading. Increasingly technologized border, uses biometrics to sense whether or not people are crossing borders. Proposal: Large-scale sensors at ports to detect nuclear material on boats. Biometrics.
ELINT/ SIGNINT
Signals intl is intelligence-gathering by the interception of signals, whether between peole, involving electronic signals not directly used in comm. (ELINT), or a combo of the two. Sensitive nifo is often encrypted, so signals intel often involves use of cryptanalysis. A very common area of ELINT is intercepting radars and learning their locations and operating procedures.
SDI
Strategic Defense Initiative. An arms control initiative initiated by Reagan in 1983 nicknamed "star wars." Purpose of the program was to develop an anti-ballistic missile system to to prevent such attacks from the USSR. Costs $100B and has been called "impotent and obsolete."
Lagrange Points
Strategic points in cislunar space, named after the French mathematician who first noted their existence. He stated that five points exist in space where the gravitational effects of the earth and moon would cancel each other out, and an object there would remain permanently stable. Only two, the "Trojan" libation points, are truly stable due to the effects of the sun. The military and commercial importance is immense, as these are logical places to put large space structures, as they would remain permanently and command the access routes to all cislunar space.
Chicxulub crater
The Chicxulub crater (/ˈtʃiːkʃʉluːb/; Mayan pronunciation: [tʃʼikʃuluɓ]) is a prehistoric impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.[2] Its center is located near the town of Chicxulub, after which the crater is named.[3] The age of the Chicxulub asteroid impact and the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-Pg boundary) coincide precisely.[4] The crater is more than 180 kilometres (110 mi) in diameter and 20 km (12 mi) in depth, making the feature one of the largest confirmed impact structures on Earth; the impacting bolide that formed the crater was at least 10 km (6 mi) in diameter.
GPS/Navstar
The Global Positioning System is a space-based satellite nav. system that provides location and time info in all weather conditions. Anywhere on or near the Earth. It provides critical capabilities to military, civil and commercial users around the world. Maintained by the US gov. and is freely accessible. Became fully operational in 1994. In 1973, discussion of the creation of a Def. Nav. Sat. System was where the first synthesis that became GPS occurred, program was Navstar.
ITU
The International Telecommunication Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies. The ITU coordinates the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promotes international cooperating in assigning satellite orbits, works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, and assists in the development and coordination of worldwide technical standards. It was developed to solve the problem of crowding at geosynchronous orbit (GEO). THis orbit is very valuable bc of earth-centri c technologies (communications, weather, and other) bc it will maintain the same position relative to earth. The problem isn't of physical crowding, but ITU was to help regulate use of the electromagnetic spectrum wavelengths. Signal interference was an issue; less developed countries contested this because those arrived late wouldn't have the most favorable accommodations. THose who were more developed got to est. a regime that favored them.
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence organization of the United States government, responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes - a discipline known as Signals intelligence (SIGINT). NSA is concurrently charged with protection of U.S. government communications and information systems against penetration and network warfare.[8][9] Although many of NSA's programs rely on "passive" electronic collection, the agency is authorized to accomplish its mission through active clandestine means,[10] among which are physically bugging electronic systems[11] and allegedly engaging in sabotage through subversive software.[12][13] Moreover, NSA maintains physical presence in a large number of countries across the globe, where its Special Collection Service (SCS) inserts eavesdropping devices in difficult-to-reach places. SCS collection tactics allegedly encompass "close surveillance, burglary, wiretapping, breaking and entering".[14][15] MASS COLLECTION OF DATA.
Biopreparat
The SU's major Bio warfare agency from the 1970s on. Vast network of secret labs, each focused on a dif. deadly agent. Over 30,000 employees researching and producing pathogenic weapons for use in a major war. Constituted blatant violation of BWC of 1972, which outlawed BW. SU denied its existence for decades.
the Turing Test
The Turing test is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. Alan Turing proposed that a human evaluator would judge natural language conversations between a human and a machine that is designed to generate human-like responses. The evaluator would be aware that one of the two partners in conversation is a machine, and all participants would be separated from one another. The conversation would be limited to a text-only channel such as a computer keyboard and screen so that the result would not be dependent on the machine's ability to render words as speech.[2] If the evaluator cannot reliably tell the machine from the human (Turing originally suggested that the machine would convince a human 70% of the time after five minutes of conversation), the machine is said to have passed the test. The test does not check the ability to give correct answers to questions, only how closely answers resemble those a human would give.
distance vs. effective distance
The effective distance between two places or objects, or individuals, cannot be measured in miles. It depends not only on physical distance but on economic distance (measured in terms of transport cost), communication distance (cost, efficiency, frequency of use and exchange of telephone calls, newspapers, radio and television programs, letters, etc.), social distanced (amount and type of interaction between individuals or groups), and others. Also, the distance may be different for each kind of transaction. Described here is a method for computing effective distance, and some suggestions for further investigation of the concept.
ENIAC/MANIAC
The firs digital computers that used vacuum tubes to manipulate electricity, but these tubes were bulky adn inefficient. They were "digital" in the sense that the operating code wasn't analog anymore (essentially attempti to take something that looks like one thing, then making it into signals and reproducing). Digital is creating a code based on "yes" and "no" prompts. They were designed (esp. ENIAC) for artillery calculation for target and also for nulcear weapons during WWII. Also, to calculate artillery firing tables for the US Army's Ballistic Research Lab.
germ theory of disease
The germ theory of disease states that some diseases are caused by microorganisms. These small organisms, too small to see without magnification, invade humans, animals, and other living hosts. Their growth and reproduction within their hosts can cause a disease. "Germ" may refer to not just a bacterium, but also a protist, fungus, virus, prion, or viroid. Microorganisms that cause disease are called pathogens, and the diseases they cause are called infectious diseases. Even when a pathogen is the principal cause of a disease, environmental and hereditary factors often influence the severity of the disease, and whether a particular host individual becomes infected when exposed to the pathogen. The germ theory was proposed in the mid-16th century and gained widespread credence when substantiated by scientific discoveries of the 17th through the late 19th century. It supplanted earlier explanations for disease, such as Galen's miasma theory.
whole brain emulation
The hypothetical process of copying someone's mental content from their brain into computer. The computer could then run a simulation of the brain information processing in such a way as to be indistinguishable from the original brain. It is considered as a potential life extending technology.
biometrics
The identifiaction of humans by their characteristics or traits. Used in computer science as a form of ID and access control; also used to ID ind. in groups that are under surveillance. ID are often categorized as physiological versus behavioral characteristics. Phys. woudl ID by iris scan, DNA, or fingerprint. Has imp. implications such as law enforement or possbility border control.
macro-engineering
The implementation of extremely large-scale design projects. It can be seen as a branch of civil engineering, but just on a very large land area. It is the process of marshaling and managing resources, technology and public opinion on a large scale to carry out complex tasks over a long period They are multidisciplinary, involving collaboration from all fields of study, like engineers, scientists, lawyers and politicians. A macroproject has the power to fundamentally transform its area of focus. They are only recently receiving attention as the world faces challenges that are multinational in scope, such as global warming and pollution.
nanotechnology
The manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. at least one dimension must be sized from 1 to 100 nanometers. Gov's have invested bil of dollars in nanotech. research due to the variety of potential applications, including industrial and military. Through its National Nanotechnology Initiative, the US has invested 3.7 bil dollars. The future implications of nantechnology are up for debate. Nanotech. may be able to create new materials and devices, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. Also rases concerns about potential environmental impact of nanomaterials and their effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios.
'the disease curtain'
The other side of "Ecological Imperialism" is that European humans didn't colonize in the tropics. Africa has more areas that are in the tropics than any other continent--Europeans couldn't make it into the interior of Africa bc of the diseases that were endemic in Africa; this is the disease curtain. They couldn't go further until the advent of tropical medicine, as malaria needed to be fought with quinine.
Outer Space Treaty of 1967
The treaty that forms the basis of international space law. It was opened for signature in the US, the UK, and the SOciety Union in 1967. Among its principles, its bars states from placing nuclear weapons or any other WMD in orbit of Earth, installing them on the Moon, or to otherwise station them in outer space. Also limits military maneuvers, and forbids any government form claiming a a celestial resource, claiming they are the common heritage of mankind.
Cole and Dyson Diasporas
They believed that in order to escape the multiple earth threats, to prevent mass extinctions, humans must escape earth. They claim it to be the only way to decrease violence interdependence, as it would increase the space occupied by human species. We also face a risk of stagnation, and so must expand, as humanity has a natural frontier drave and will otherwise fight each other or become complacent and lazy. The Cole Diaspora is the idea that we are going to asteroids--manipulating orbit and using resources. Humans will start to become a multi-world species. There would be colonial outpost in the inner solar orbital space; these colonies would be political forums--the need for creativity and productivity would lead to democratic political colonies--and space colonization would be the new frontier. The Dyson Diaspora goes even further, looking at the independent colonies and then predicting species radiation, believing that life will expand into the universe. The Cole Diaspora principle is based on the preservation of humanity, recognizing the threats posed by all humans on earth, while the Dyson Diaspora, with its concept of species radiation, is based on the preservation of life.
island Earth in solar archipelago
This sees earth as the seed pod from which the human species with radiate. This is part of the idea surrounding Cole Diaspora--humans will move out from earth in order to escape the omni-violence, to avoid fighting and getting lazy, and to chase after a frontier and est. colonies. Then, the colonies will be in place from the Cole Diaspora, but will radiate outwards with the Dyson Diaspora, even calling for mutation an devolution.
vaccines
To improve immunity to a disease, take a dead or weak version of the virus. This is injected into a person so that the body's immune system can overcome it, take the process, and learn. Drawbacks: Civilian defense would be difficult to coordinate bc of a lack of hierarchical distribution structure.. It is expensive, requires a lot of testing and development. Side-effects are uncertain and could cause more costs and problems. Multiple immunizations could lead to death, so we would have to preemptively guess which strains and which diseases are best to vaccinate against. There are also multiple strains of each diseases, so even if we limit it to a few, there is still a high change we wouldn't be protected. This would require a huge government involvement in the Pharmaceutical realm.
Trans humanism
Transhumanism (abbreviated as H+ or h+) is an international cultural and intellectual movement with an eventual goal of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.[1] Transhumanist thinkers study the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations, as well as the ethics of developing and using such technologies.[2] The most common thesis put forward is that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label posthuman.[1]
UNSCOM
UN SPecial COmmission was an inspection regime created by the Un to ensure Iraq's compliance with policies concerning Iraqi production and the use of weapons of mass destruction after the Gulf War. Found evidence that an Iraqi microbiologist had produced BW for Iraq in the 1980s; the destruction of proscribed weapons was carried out by Iraq under supervision of UNSCOM.
STUXNET
Very sophisticated worm developed by the US and Israel. Inserted into Iranian NW complex in Natanz where Iran has a large concentration of centrifuges. a remarkably sophisticated computer worm the US developed (probably with Israel) that we inserted into Iranian NW complex at Natanz causing the centrifuges to speed up and destroying around 1000 centrifuges during the US Mission, Olympic Games. The worm usually enters a target through an infected USB and then propagates across a network by scanning for Siemens technology. Its introduction was a huge moment in cyber war because it legitimatized the use of cyber weapons to cause physical damage.
Kessler cascade
When debris hits debris and causes more problems. An endless cycle. breeds are objects that run into each other and create more debris → may not be possible to do things in space later because so much debris and may already be too late ⇒ need series of guidelines to stop producing as much. Hitchens reading.
Ostro-Sagan deflection dilemma
With regards to asteroid deflection; if you can reliable deflect a threatening worldlet so it does not collide with Earth, you can also reliable deflect a harmless worldlet so it does collide with Earth. In the future, when all near-Earth asteroids are inventoried, it might only take a year to select a suitable object, alter its orbit, and send it crashing into the Earth. All the necessary technologies exist today. The danger of the misuse of these new technologies is significant. Can humans be trusted with civilization-threatening technologies?
ARPANET
World's first opeartional packet switching network, first network to implement IP, the progenitor of what would become the global internet. Initially funded by ARPA, within the US DoD for use by its projects at universities and research labs. First message on ARPANET was sent in Oct. of 1969.
pungi sticks
Would dip sharpened sticks in fecal matter and bury them in the ground, infecting those who stepped on them. Early form of biological warfare and natural disease.
Fuller Earth Program
a form of geo-engineering that involves hydroponics (the enclosure of nature so we can grow more and more of it) and macro-engineering to dramatically change the geography of earth so it's more inhabitable. some form of corporation (Earth Inc) OR 2. some form of world government. These are prereqs for fuller earth consequences (posits that we could have 20-30 billion people living in space).Capital peace argument --> when cost so high and so fragile, destruction becomes intolerably costly --> swamps von Braun model and such ⇒ very hierarchical arrangement (think Promethean agenda) because whoever can control space technology could dominate the rest of the planet ⇒ end of history, end of sovereign state society geodetic - carbon structures that follow hexagonal shape → enclosure - take more of nature and convert it into habitable space for humans hydroponic - artificial plant growing → enclosed ecosystems because can't make food/plants in space otherwise
'zero day exploits'
flaws in a software (some trap doors, some are flaws, etc.) can't change because complex and almost all the stuff was rapidly made for a commercial market (didn't pay as much attention to security and such) → constantly making patches for these flaws and NSA continuously searching for them flaws in a software that make it hackable/accessible to foreign entities.
point of origin controls
inspecting containers at port that they leave from instead of entry port.
neural nets
networks modeled after the brain in the sense that neural networks are generally presented as systems of interconnected neurons" which send messages to each other. Neural nets are adaptive to inputs and capable of learning. the intricate and complex web of neurons transmitting info, will artificially recreate
the 'singularity'
orignally coined by V. Vinge and later made famous by Ray Kurzweil. Vinge derived the name from black holes, the point at which gravity is so strong even light cannot escape → cannot see or know anything beyond that point. Only he extends this analogy to technology, specifically AI → ASI. Technology is going to reach a point we can no longer control it or even understand where it is going to.
van Allen belts
radiation belts around planets. A layer of energetic charged particles held around the planets by their magnetic field. Discovered by James Van Allen these radiation belts damage satellites which must protect itself from the radiation.
frontier vs. natural boundary
space environment radically alien and incredibly inhospitable to humans ⇒ although some people consider space a frontier, actually a barrier because it's a natural boundary. It is a vacuum so we must bring our own air along and no pressure so need to create an artificial atmosphere too. Extreme temperatures, weightlessness, and radiation all have very negative side effects showing space is a barrier not a frontier Is space the next place to explore or does it's alien environment create a boundary we shouldn't cross? According to Deudney and others, space is not a frontier, but rather a natural boundary. It is a vacuum with no air and no pressure with temperatures ranging from -300C - +300C (extremes)( extreme temps, weightlessness and radiation pose problems) Thermal Buckling - objects will be simultaneously exposed to both temperature extremes and must be configured to deal with them. Radiation and cosmic rays are also an issue. Earth's atmosphere filters out radiation that comes from celestial bodies, such as solar wind.Cosmic Rays: particles (usually iron and nickel nuclei) that are travelling at an appreciable percentage of the speed of light. These 'rays' are byproducts from ancient supernovas and have tremendous capacity to damage molecules and cause cancer. In order to avoid these, humans would need to be shielded in bubbles of water. Weightlessness: Creates bone decalcification and muscle atrophy. Can only be countered with strenuous and constant exercise. Weightlessness also creates eye damage - the back of the eye detaches from the retina... most people would be blind upon arrival on Mars (6 month transit)
'yellow rain'
subject of a 1981 political incident in which the US sec. of State Haig accused the SU of supplying T-2 mycotoxin to the Communist states in Vietnam and Laos. Refugees described dif. forms of attacks, including a sticky yellow liquid falling from plans or helicopters. THe US government alleged that over ten thousand ppl had been killed in attacks using these chem weapons. Some tested samples suggest that the "yellow rain" was due to mass defecation of digested pollen grains from large swarms of bees. issue has not been fully resolved.
medium theory
the examination of how the means of expression of human commmunication impacts the meaning of human communication. The phrase referes to the approaches that focus on the tech. aspects of media beyond their content. It aims to look beyond the content to the medium which reveals the key to its social impact. scholars at U of Toronto (3 proponents: Harold Innis, Marshall McLuhan, and Ron Deibert). Forces of communication (forces = basic technologies) affect the modes of communication (modes = ways), which have consequences on politics and society. All about historical materialism apparently. The means by which we communicate affect the messages sent McLuhan- "the media is the message"
"the Moral Equivalent of War" (MEOW)
the title of an essay written by William James, a famous philosopher of the 20th century. It bears relevance to what Deudney talked about wrt disease and weaponization and the political effects of disease control. There is a question of whether or not we want to securitize disease and health. For Deudney, we should securitize the entirety of public health. Humans have demonstrated great capacity to get things done, to organize and solve problems when they are confronted with threats that they see as security threat. Classic example: invasion or threat from outside. In this situation, we can similarly mobilize attention and solve problems more effectively. The securitization of public health is the Moral Equivalent of War.
computer viruses vs. worms
viruses: malware that causes damage by replicating itself and clogs everything up to where computer can't do basic functions worms: complex virus configured to actually take control of the computer and use it. A virus is a piece of code that reproduces itself and clogs up normal functioning, worm is a more complex virus that is configured to take control of a computer. Once a worm gets into a computer, it is sophisticated enough to use and control the computer - it can: delete material, sent material elsewhere, change control settings, control the system, and more. An example of a sophisticated computer worm is STUXNET (see aboveterm).
