There's A Convoy Of Autonomous Army Trucks Driving Through Michigan This Summer

This summer, the U.S. army is taking its next steps towards instituting autonomous military vehicles by dispatching a convoy of self-driving trucks on a highway in Michigan to test vehicle-to-infrastructure technology, Automotive News reports. That’s right: huge, self-driving trucks…

The year 2040 is looking very scary for the world’s richest countries

http://qz.com/588072/the-demographic-problem-you-really-need-to-worry-about/

For demographers and economists, 2020 is a big year.

That’s when 20% of the population of the world’s richest countries will be older than 65—a magic number because, starting in the mid-1900s, it’s the age when people…

Is technology causing us to 'evolve' into a new SPECIES? Expert believes super humans called Homo optimus will talk to machines and be 'digitally immortal' by 2050

• Futurologist Dr Ian Pearson has predicted how humans will evolve by 2050
• He claims transhumanism will be normal and create Homo optimus species
• New species would be a mix of human and computer with superior senses
• We could also turn our pets…

Could the US deploy 'cyborg' troops?

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/01/28/could-us-deploy-cyborg-troops.html?intcmp=hphz08

Dear Mad Scientist Community:

Please join the TRADOC G2 for two online discussions on 27 and 28 January at 1100 EST. Daniel Newport and Dr. Robert Smith will present on 27 Jan at 1100 EST and Mr. Bryce Hoffman will present on 28 Jan at 1100 EST. Each session will last for about 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session. You can participate in the events at:

Link: https://connect.apan.org/r3bgfq47484  

Log on through APAN…

Self-flying Black Hawk and ROBOTANK collaborate for ground-air mission By Cheyenne Macdonald, Dailymail.com <http://dailymail.com/> , January 26, 2016

An autonomous helicopter and an unmanned vehicle teamed up for a ground-air mission to prove their potential capabilities on the battlefield

In the collaborative demonstration from Carnegie Mellon University and Sikorsky Aircraft, the self-flying Black Hawk helicopter…

As Dr. Ian McCulloh stated, "Military leaders today must evolve their thinking from traditional military objectives of geographic terrain to higher level objectives of social problems and influence."iv In the past, our military found it difficult to develop in-depth understanding of the human domain prior to deployment. In order to prevent, shape, and win future conflicts, our forces must embrace the challenge…

Mad Scientist Speaker Series: Megacities and Dense Urban Areas

Please join the TRADOC G2 for an online discussion of the Megacities and Dense Urban Areas in 2025 and Beyond with Bryce Hoffman on 28 January at 1100 EST. Mr. Hoffman will present for about 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session.

Link: https://connect.apan.org/r3bgfq47484

Log on through APAN at: https://connect.apan.org/r3bgfq47484

Bryce G. Hoffman is…

Military Wants X-Ray Vision and Tunnel Robots To Fight Terrorists

A Revolution in Military Affairs versus “Evolution”: When Machines are Smart Enough! by Tom Keeley Journal Article | January 8, 2016 - 2:29pm http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/a-revolution-in-military-affairs-versus-%E2%80%9Cevolutio...

Man, Computer, and Special Warfare

Patrick Duggan

http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/man-computer-and-special-warfare

Journal Article | January 4, 2016 - 11:21am

Please join the TRADOC G2 for an online discussion of Megacities and Dense Urban Areas in 2025 and Beyond with Mr. Daniel Newport and Dr. Robert Smith on 27 January 2016, 1100-1200hrs EST. Mr. Newport and Dr. Robert Smith will present for about 30-45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session.

Link: https://connect.apan.org/r3bgfq47484

Log on through APAN at: https://connect.apan.org/r3bgfq47484

Daniel Newport has a Bachelor…

Please find the latest Mad Scientist publication by Elizabeth Royall on Small Wars Journal (SWJ), titled: "Shifting Focus from U.S. Technological Dominance to U.S.-Allied Dominance."

SWJ link to paper: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/shifting-focus-from-us-technological-dominance-to-us-allied-dominance

Ms. Elizabeth Royall is a program manager at Decisive Analytics Corporation International Division (DAI…

A Product of the Futures Assessment Division: JANUARY 2016

http://www.mcwl.marines.mil/Portals/34/Documents/NFTE/Notes%20from%20the%20Edge%20-%20Jan%202016.pdf

FORECASTS
How Soon Before Your Job Is Done By A Robot? This Handy Chart Will Tell You. If you're
planning a career, or planning a career change, it may be worth thinking about how automation could
affect the job market of the future. We know that advances in artificial…

•             Army awards two contracts as part of new Cyber Innovation Challenge

By Ellen Mitchell, Inside Defense, December 29, 2015

The Army has awarded two companies contracts to deliver next-generation, defensive cybersecurity prototype kits, the result of the service's first-ever Cyber Innovation Challenge.

The service awarded Critical Stack Inc. $3 million and Parsons Corp. -- in partnership with Wolf Den Associates…

INFORMATION PAPER

SUBJECT: Insights from 2015 Mad Scientist Conferences

1. Purpose. To provide an overview and identify insights from the 2015 Mad Scientist series of conferences.

2. Facts.

     a. The Mad Scientist series of events is designed to examine the impacts of science and technology on future armed conflict. Mad Scientist events are part of the G-2’s continuous study of the future Operational Environment and the…

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/12/28/460705645/gene-editing-tool-hailed-as-a-breakthrough-and-it-really-is-one

Needless to say, this tool will make it easier for bad actors to weaponize the genome as well, perhaps though genetically engineered superbugs...but perhaps through more "creative" ways, like altering transplant organs or blood for transfusions to cause, rather than cure, some terrible…

US Troops Need Training To Battle in Future Megacities, Marine General Warns

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/training-simulation/2015/12/28/us-troops-need-training-battle-future-megacities-marine-general-warns/77826210/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=%2ASituation%20Report

'Phantom head' may one day take guesswork out of EEG monitoring

By David Vergun, Army.mil Dec. 28, 2015

Electroencephalography, or EEG, has been used for decades to measure voltage fluctuations in different parts of the brain to graph a person's neural patterns.

IMPORTANCE OF EEG

EEG patterns, or waves, provide insights into what the person is seeing, hearing, thinking and feeling, sort of peering into individual…

Dear Mad Scientist Community, I would like to offer a great opportunity to you all to continue to help the army think about the future and the capabilities needed to allow us to remain the preeminent land force. The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Co...

http://www.wired.com/2015/12/for-soldiers-of-the-future-brain-training-may-be-as-vital-as-pushups/

• Eric Niiler Science
• Date of Publication: 12.17.15. 12.17.15
• Time of Publication: 12:45 pm. 12:45 pm

For Soldiers of the Future, Brain Training May Be as Vital as Pushups

Click to Open Overlay Gallery Getty Images

The controversial idea that you can “train” a human brain to get smarter or faster has spread through the…

Help DARPA develop software to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Big Data Analytic Applications

The DARPA XDATA program is pioneering a new model of agile software development to support analysts working with big data. From a catalog of reconfigurable, open-source software components (see DARPA’s Open Catalog: opencatalog.darpa.mil/XDATA.html), the XDATA program is developing a number of cutting edge software…

US military reveals it hopes to use artificial intelligence to create cybersoldiers and even help fly its F-35 fighter jet - but admits it is ALREADY playing catch up

• Darpa says it envisions using augmented reality to help ground troops
• It will identify targets, sources of gunfire and help with communication
• To make this a reality, it has now awarded research contracts to several companies to develop the technology

…

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/12/will-us-pursue-enhanced-human-ops-depsecdef-wonders/

Will US Pursue ‘Enhanced Human Ops?’ DepSecDef Wonders

By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.on December 14, 2015 at 6:46 PM