Homeland Security hiring science fiction writers - really!

[donsu]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-05-29-deviant-thinkers-security_N.htm?csp=34


Sci-fi writers join war on terror


Looking to prevent the next terrorist attack, the Homeland Security Department is tapping into the wild imaginations of a group of self-described "deviant" thinkers: science-fiction writers.

-snip-

Those responsible for keeping the nation safe from devastating attacks realize that in addition to border agents, police and airport screeners, they "need people to think of crazy ideas," Andrews says.

The writers make up a group called Sigma, which Andrews put together 15 years ago to advise government officials. The last time the group gathered was in the late 1990s, when members met with government scientists to discuss what a post-nuclear age might look like, says group member Greg Bear. He has written 30 sci-fi books, including the best seller Darwin's Radio.

Now, the Homeland Security Department is calling on the group to help with the government's latest top mission of combating terrorism.

-snip-

The 9/11 Commission called the 2001 terrorist attacks a result of the government's "failure of imagination." For this group, Walker says, there's no such thing as an "unthinkable scenario."

Why offer their ideas to the government instead of private companies that pay big bucks?

"To save civilization," Ringworld author Larry Niven says. "We do it in fiction. Why wouldn't we want to do it in fact?"
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oh, please

I'm not up on male sci/fi writers (after 30 yrs. of reading them I knew what they had to say and now only read women sci/fi writers) are they neo cons?

Homeland Security is beneath contempt

[YOY]

1. 'Male' sci fi writers are neocons?

I've heard of one or two, but don't paint a broad brush.

[donsu]

8. I was speaking of the men mentioned in the article

nt

[Swede]

2. You took 30 years to read all of Orson Scott Cards' books?

:shrug:

[Downtown Hound]

3. Allow me to don my tinfoil hat

and suggest that instead of trying to protect Americans from terrorist attacks, all they're really looking for is new ideas to keep the American people afraid.

Terrorists are really only capable of so much. Their methods tend to be rather basic and not really creative at all. Suicide bombings, car bombings, hijackings, gun assaults, yadda, yadda, ya. And contrary to what was said by just about everybody in our media, the idea of hijacking a plane and turning it into a flying missile has been around for decades. Ever hear of Kamikaze pilots? Or read the real plans of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold? They had fantasized about hijacking an airplane and ramming it into, yes that's right, the World Trade Center.

Terrorists don't really have the capability to execute the kinds of things that the most far out science fiction minds could come up with. So, what really is the point of this?

[valerief]

15. Exactly. nt

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Speakkng as a male science-fiction writer

I can say authoritatively that you're all wet. And also that, if you refuse to read sf written by men, you're missing some very good stuff.

[donsu]

9. I didn't say I refused to read male sci/fi writers

nt

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. They did this with screen writers post 9/11 already.

It's where all the bullshit about poisoning the water supply & so on came from.

[Forkboy]

6. Greg Bear's books are excellent.

I'd trust Sci-Fi writers more than bureaucrats.

And no,they are not all neo-cons. :eyes:

[librechik]

12. yes they are--Bush won't hire anyone else unless there's a court order!

[radfringe]

7. you can't make this shit up!!!!

oops...I guess you can...

[donsu]

10. yes, I was wondering why the writers mentioned in the article were

all for helping the neo cons?

[librechik]

11. BTW--they are all rightwingers, of course.

They won't ask the advice of liberal scifi writers becasue they would be talking about human rights and alien rights and how to make life better. The military want's off the charts WEAPONRY--
and METHODS OF INTIMIDATION AND CONTROL like only crazy FASCIST scifi writers (O.S. Card) could come up with.

[donsu]

13. look, I never said male sci/fi writers were bad! get a grip

I prefer the female point of view in sci/fi novels.

[TexasProgresive]

14. It's not a bad idea but

the HLSA will screw it up big time.

[Javaman]

16. When told that 1984 was fiction, moron* responded...

"you means it's not a gov't how to book?"