Science, Technology, and Warfare

Science, Technology, and Warfare PDF Author: Monte D. Wright
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Military art and science
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The nature of warfare has always been largely determined by contemporary technology. Instances of technological change undertaken for the sake of military advantage have also been relatively common in history. The relationships between science and warfare, however, have been much more variable and ambiguous. The papers and discussions of the Symposium investigate selected aspects of the complex relationships between science and technology on the one hand, and warfare on the other, from the Renaissance to the 1960s. In the first session, Professor Hall takes up in turn the possible areas of interaction between science (exterior ballistics, engineering, explosives, mechanics, and metallurgy) and military technology (edge weapons, cannons and mortars, fortification and siege warfare, and small arms) in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. The notion that science is pursued for utilitarian ends, Hall finds, is an unhistorical projection backward from our own age." He excludes navigation and medicine from consideration, because they were civil as well as military concerns. In spite of the pleading of certain early propagandists of the Empire of Man over Nature," and in spite of the elaborate sketches of military engines in Leonardo's notebooks, military technology was largely innocent of scientific method. The developments in fortification required mathematical skills, but nothing more than elementary geometry and arithmetic. Mathematicians studied the ancient problem of the trajectory of projectiles, but their efforts affected neither the design nor the use of guns. The range tables they provided were not even usable with the guns of the time. The solution of the trajectory problem would await Benjamin Robins and the 18th century. Professor Hale supports Hall's conclusion with three arguments. In the 16th and 17th centuries, armies were so organized as to preclude any productive contact with the worlds of science and technology.

Science, Technology, and Warfare

Science, Technology, and Warfare PDF Author: Monte D. Wright
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Military art and science
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The nature of warfare has always been largely determined by contemporary technology. Instances of technological change undertaken for the sake of military advantage have also been relatively common in history. The relationships between science and warfare, however, have been much more variable and ambiguous. The papers and discussions of the Symposium investigate selected aspects of the complex relationships between science and technology on the one hand, and warfare on the other, from the Renaissance to the 1960s. In the first session, Professor Hall takes up in turn the possible areas of interaction between science (exterior ballistics, engineering, explosives, mechanics, and metallurgy) and military technology (edge weapons, cannons and mortars, fortification and siege warfare, and small arms) in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. The notion that science is pursued for utilitarian ends, Hall finds, is an unhistorical projection backward from our own age." He excludes navigation and medicine from consideration, because they were civil as well as military concerns. In spite of the pleading of certain early propagandists of the Empire of Man over Nature," and in spite of the elaborate sketches of military engines in Leonardo's notebooks, military technology was largely innocent of scientific method. The developments in fortification required mathematical skills, but nothing more than elementary geometry and arithmetic. Mathematicians studied the ancient problem of the trajectory of projectiles, but their efforts affected neither the design nor the use of guns. The range tables they provided were not even usable with the guns of the time. The solution of the trajectory problem would await Benjamin Robins and the 18th century. Professor Hale supports Hall's conclusion with three arguments. In the 16th and 17th centuries, armies were so organized as to preclude any productive contact with the worlds of science and technology.

Physics in a New Era

Physics in a New Era PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309073421
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.

Rising Above the Gathering Storm

Rising Above the Gathering Storm PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309100399
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 590

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Book Description
In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations along with 20 implementation actions that federal policy-makers should take to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy: 1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education; 2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research; 3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and 4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation. Some actions will involve changing existing laws, while others will require financial support that would come from reallocating existing budgets or increasing them. Rising Above the Gathering Storm will be of great interest to federal and state government agencies, educators and schools, public decision makers, research sponsors, regulatory analysts, and scholars.

S&T Strategies of Six Countries

S&T Strategies of Six Countries PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309162688
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 127

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Book Description
An increase in global access to goods and knowledge is transforming world-class science and technology (S&T) by bringing it within the capability of an unprecedented number of global parties who must compete for resources, markets, and talent. In particular, globalization has facilitated the success of formal S&T plans in many developing countries, where traditional limitations can now be overcome through the accumulation and global trade of a wide variety of goods, skills, and knowledge. As a result, centers for technological research and development (R&D) are now globally dispersed, setting the stage for greater uncertainty in the political, economic, and security arenas. These changes will have a potentially enormous impact for the U.S. national security policy, which for the past half century was premised on U.S. economic and technological dominance. As the U.S. monopoly on talent and innovation wanes, arms export regulations and restrictions on visas for foreign S&T workers are becoming less useful as security strategies. The acute level of S&T competition among leading countries in the world today suggests that countries that fail to exploit new technologies or that lose the capability for proprietary use of their own new technologies will find their existing industries uncompetitive or obsolete. The increased access to information has transformed the 1950s' paradigm of "control and isolation" of information for innovation control into the current one of "engagement and partnerships" between innovators for innovation creation. Current and future strategies for S&T development need to be considered in light of these new realities. This book analyzes the S&T strategies of Japan, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Singapore (JBRICS), six countries that have either undergone or are undergoing remarkable growth in their S&T capabilities for the purpose of identifying unique national features and how they are utilized in the evolving global S&T environment.

War and Technology: A Very Short Introduction

War and Technology: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Alex Roland
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190605391
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
The war instinct is part of human nature, but the means to fight war depend on technology. Alex Roland traces the co-evolution of technology and warfare from the Stone Age to the age of cyberwar, describing the inventions that changed the direction of warfare throughout history: from fortified walls, the chariot, battleships, and the gunpowder revolution to bombers, rockets, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and nuclear weapons. In the twenty-first century, new technologies continue to push warfare in unexpected directions, while warfare stimulates stunning new technological advances. Yet even now, the newest and best technology cannot guarantee victory. Brimming with dramatic narratives of battles and deep insights into military psychology, this book shows that although military technologies keep changing at great speed, the principles and patterns behind them abide.

Strategic Latency Unleashed

Strategic Latency Unleashed PDF Author: Zachary Davis
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781952565076
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 580

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Book Description
The world is being transformed physically and politically. Technology is the handmaiden of much of this change. But since the current sweep of global change is transforming the face of warfare, Special Operations Forces (SOF) must adapt to these circumstances. Fortunately, adaptation is in the SOF DNA. This book examines the changes affecting SOF and offers possible solutions to the complexities that are challenging many long-held assumptions. The chapters explore what has changed, what stays the same, and what it all means for U.S. SOF. The authors are a mix of leading experts in technology, business, policy, intelligence, and geopolitics, partnered with experienced special operators who either cowrote the chapters or reviewed them to ensure accuracy and relevance for SOF. Our goal is to provide insights into the changes around us and generate ideas about how SOF can adapt and succeed in the emerging operational environment.

The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century

The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century PDF Author: Brad Roberts
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804797153
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
“An excellent contribution to the debate on the future role of nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence in American foreign policy.” ―Contemporary Security Policy This book is a counter to the conventional wisdom that the United States can and should do more to reduce both the role of nuclear weapons in its security strategies and the number of weapons in its arsenal. The case against nuclear weapons has been made on many grounds—including historical, political, and moral. But, Brad Roberts argues, it has not so far been informed by the experience of the United States since the Cold War in trying to adapt deterrence to a changed world, and to create the conditions that would allow further significant changes to U.S. nuclear policy and posture. Drawing on the author’s experience in the making and implementation of U.S. policy in the Obama administration, this book examines that real-world experience and finds important lessons for the disarmament enterprise. Central conclusions of the work are that other nuclear-armed states are not prepared to join the United States in making reductions, and that unilateral steps by the United States to disarm further would be harmful to its interests and those of its allies. The book ultimately argues in favor of patience and persistence in the implementation of a balanced approach to nuclear strategy that encompasses political efforts to reduce nuclear dangers along with military efforts to deter them. “Well-researched and carefully argued.” ―Foreign Affairs

Technology and Security in the 21st Century

Technology and Security in the 21st Century PDF Author: Amitav Mallik
Publisher: SIPRI Research Reports
ISBN: 9780199271757
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The immense impact of technology on both warfare and security has been clearly demonstrated and has heightened concerns relating to the proliferation of military technology and misuse by irresponsible actors. Technology control regimes are a vital component of national security strategies.This report presents evidence of the increasing relevance of technology in the 21st century and a brief review of the control regimes, as well as the perspectives of progressive developing nations. It highlights the need for a new approach to the management of technology and security issues. Meetingfuture challenges to arms control and non-proliferation will require wider cooperation among nations in a rapidly changing and interdependent world in which some of the new technologies will further accentuate security sensitivities. The report advocates the abandonment of cold war mindsets andmakes a case for a broader cooperative approach to the management of technology controls. International cooperation will be vital for achieving the objectives of non-proliferation, disarmament and global socio-economic progress and will facilitate steps towards the elimination of weapons of massdestruction and the dangers posed by terrorism, thereby fostering enhanced international peace and stability.

Mastering a New Role

Mastering a New Role PDF Author: National Academy of Engineering
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309046467
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
This book examines the changing character of commercial technology development and diffusion in an integrated global economy and its implications for U.S. public policies in support of technological innovation. The volume considers the history, current practice, and future prospects for national policies to encourage economic development through both direct and indirect government support of technological advance.

Technology and Security

Technology and Security PDF Author: Brian Rappert
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230591884
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 231

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Book Description
This book takes forward the existing state of academic understanding where security and technology intersect. It assesses the challenges posed by emerging scientific and technological developments for security while understanding how perceptions of security threats are themselves formed in relation to conceptions of science and technology.