Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs
    The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs
    The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs
    Ebook411 pages6 hours

    The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs

    By Michael Belfiore

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The first-ever inside look at DARPA—the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—the maverick and controversial group whose futuristic work has had amazing civilian and military applications, from the Internet to GPS to driverless cars

    America's greatest idea factory isn't Bell Labs, Silicon Valley, or MIT's Media Lab. It's the secretive, Pentagon-led agency known as DARPA. Founded by Eisenhower in response to Sputnik and the Soviet space program, DARPA mixes military officers with sneaker-wearing scientists, seeking paradigm-shifting ideas in varied fields—from energy, robotics, and rockets to peopleless operating rooms, driverless cars, and planes that can fly halfway around the world in just hours. DARPA gave birth to the Internet, GPS, and mind-controlled robotic arms. Its geniuses define future technology for the military and the rest of us.

    Michael Belfiore was given unprecedented access to write this first-ever popular account of DARPA. Visiting research sites across the country, he watched scientists in action and talked to the creative, fearlessly ambitious visionaries working for and with DARPA. Much of DARPA's work is classified, and this book is full of material that has barely been reported in the general media. In fact, DARPA estimates that only 2 percent of Americans know much of anything about the agency. This fascinating read demonstrates that DARPA isn't so much frightening as it is inspiring—it is our future.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateSep 30, 2009
    ISBN9780061959370
    The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs
    Author

    Michael Belfiore

    Michael Belfiore is one of only a handful of freelance journalists covering commercial spaceflight. Born in 1969—the year Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon—Belfiore has always been fascinated by space travel. He lives with his family in Woodstock, New York.

    Related to The Department of Mad Scientists

    Related ebooks

    Biography & Memoir For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Robots Can’t Dance: Why the singularity is greatly exaggerated.

      Jan 22, 2015

      Can a robot be creative? Advances in cloud robotics—machines connected to supercomputers in the cloud—have given self-driving cars, surgical robots, and other “smart” devices tremendous powers of computation. But can a robot, even one supercharged wi

      10 min read

    • Article

      Comic Book Creations

      Jan 1, 2021

      Comic Book Creations
      4 min read

    • Article

      Let There Be Chips

      Oct 10, 2023

      Let There Be Chips
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Uncanny Valley of Xenobots

      Feb 25, 2022

      They appear, at first, like so many toy tops spinning around a petri dish, etching squiggly patterns on the plate as if it were an ice rink. But soon enough, their work makes you realize that these tiny dervishes are, unmistakably, alive. You are in

      7 min read

    • Article

      What Is a Robot?

      Mar 22, 2016

      What Is a Robot?
      14 min read

    • Article

      Spaced Out

      Dec 31, 2020

      I have always wanted to travel to space. But unless I suddenly find a hidden talent for engineering or Russian, floating in a darkened pod of ultra-salty water is probably the closest I’ll ever come to feeling completely weightless. More than 14,000

      5 min read

    • Article

      If Aliens Exist, Here’s How We’ll Find Them

      Feb 24, 2021

      Suppose aliens existed, and imagine that some of them had been watching our planet for its entire four and a half billion years. What would they have seen? Over most of that vast timespan, Earth’s appearance altered slowly and gradually. Continents d

      11 min read

    • Article

      Charlie Walker

      Jun 25, 2019

      ONE OF MY earliest memories is of watching Disney’s Tomorrowland programming in the 1950s. At the time, we were still unsure if there was life on Mars or Venus. There were so many questions to answer about space. I was inspired by the mystery and adv

      2 min read

    • Article

      Storage Space for the Undead: Inside the Cryonics Business

      Dec 28, 2017

      The most secure underground vault in the world sits 650 feet below the earth’s surface in an old salt mine outside the town of Hutchinson, Kansas. Inside: over 35 football fields worth of storage space, encased in a 400-foot-thick salt formation that

      8 min read

    • Article

      Think Different

      Jul 5, 2022

      Think Different
      7 min read

    • Article

      Heavy Going

      Jan 18, 2021

      Heavy Going
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Miner’s Guide to the Galaxy

      Jun 1, 2016

      Two U.S. companies are determined to drill asteroids for space’s riches. But are they prepared to share the trillion-dollar sky with foreign competitors?

      15 min read

    • Article

      Lift off

      Oct 11, 2022

      Lift off
      10 min read

    • Article

      The End Of Astronauts:

      Dec 7, 2022

      Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2022 185 pages, ISBN 978-0674257726 US$25.95, hardcover “THE ARGUMENTS IN this book point to one striking conclusion,” write the authors of The End of Astronauts. “We do

      2 min read

    • Article

      Cyberpunk Rules

      Oct 1, 2020

      Cyberpunk Rules
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Minds & Algorithms That Make Hollywood Spectacle

      Aug 5, 2014

      We may not have realized it at the time, but during the 1990s, Hollywood movies were infiltrated by a new presence that outshined even the biggest screen stars: Images created on computers became the main draws for movies like Jurassic Park, Toy Stor

      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Department of Mad Scientists

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Department of Mad Scientists - Michael Belfiore

      ebook_preview_excerpt.html}}ْǕ寄A2*H$idi@Eu̓ggfbc,H>F/a9Hf"*w9wk_ݛWW~ kooo߼+~xqW}?>+U[bUb_k{u4ۢSNOaU)B[/S?bPL]QW臀s\4 bۉU;ab] 7iTX]5ZPv/x<:m ?;,|ەgҚ_7jDIsF>XbU<}CKYx<5de.WS0»uMv0(Q캦;4D iW۰xx^V mb?eKm844-M@-*G!Jr#Au8<>~?s=yVchsӧeB$"BLʇiٮ2`_90葂 PKi<&uqӖF'dcVM2ۖ۱yRo Wˬv#F|}h؄]y7 I}{O_xxXp&!"0Ճi= N"};6gO~CZнiogPvm̌҆;{ǽ\g>sؠnv8WLœ ~y҃au`P1zWlJ~3'&:7ѱM)NaθwmG8&GPPƫ^v;CTDaؚyqM`-]Rg$OP+:vBdށ.x!c IXRgKɼL'$@QRO+dz#-WV~IOBad l{Մq[CP3^T_/ǐpF16 LBDm|p4@ (@ٙ5;b!u (0"(W<݄m7/ U+cho3(4s,G$I&1eX'}A+4&YPx)Ͽ/<[H hÞǶګ}vmE)Y$m\ʃ*pq~BO7ո ]P/T~G2ڈaP fa[M ["DP6p BF>q2Ƽr#ni{Ma"Db,Yt2w80=┤``۳7P+x7n0,{wG!CSC Zfʦ=0bͣ% 9G2 c)}791 <$;aEqص ,oίm9֛6qW2"(ǫ-{{x{&[~| B^? 'ǀ:Ǔ-;:׊T CgBQ@pL ccQ[NdzSrp+bɽQ,1G-öDhk%<,`i( avW75w6wgYMc7] ]YZ#4/vʭ!F9oNuF\`:YN=net„/\ g;2Qʠ=գƤwn+3Ypu49(njX/cGr*8AfřCq3KMZ"")Z$?FVIiwLEtQT)VCS`qPB^7eAE0ۣ* L ~X>.R%% )"0P`x.KkE/U;p9~gi5S8qm,ś+ ?]񘍋ĽX ?lBM<0T(֑Vw3*`)Y n`i+.htE5AF3#*I}:STH"DY裓/I=r%*w8cJHF˙J7@iY9p04!;!>@*_ VM˻JLf&IƮ*ZW5Te4UMmG9ķ+yxBlw){O@nSPP$D9඀6uS_4>8FW^4z]"'WB)5`Q6M8 oC7AJJ/N ׋a*80zb2@sS2JV>'FBdNg{מ,=%أ# dz;lD)m| *n˸*ڤ-N,K~ kWbWz&&f<^Q! ݪ`.0<Ϋ_׶ƫ=0~ZXڻREqB?)uCv1^^-`b:(sd2>FbǬ UjU朙nnXB%S>ݴr(erN#'˾h´ ,}!u類. 6O 1G--@Б½Ȧ(Oǫ+pAZ9HI]ʓt SAN#օƳX="߅ȈC9 vF ^UDLH"sLPZ9`&cq @ϑ>@a8P$Ti0D}MRq PϟCPnW'Qˍy <2d\ 1 ?!]4}x0˂vԏ l,a4G B =fCi|).}JI.v!Bw] #Ξ9UYT#WU:3㐴.%lwH~PU&3}kaV]t+f>M`KܴL*w-6M?T $d.nn^ŴgsSKZ=S5ͥKzWoEX\ZouAVsq.I+Sla>c+ʧI<_@lj(b7JŬR ^ɟpETC*z FŲx$8U$:H?rL6HJgO!RXb E$UX 5 Rq3ޚW&g YjyĸrP<"AG1H{%M4m1xgug67=kA'8ym9]7Xg+M8xzFZOLpȰa%ECk̖-`MS5v8/Er:Q|Ա0zeucId˫R$/''O3;X-h}?VK]Nl౽;;?_O^!@-[0W%hMx._4a5#MʩK"&8% MZ\^4{ %B.{?t77[x oΙ< 2T*{=M=\H̥ H>똛.X]mLVzR/`jIu݄IśT`TnǓj{V0]5\p~1nUYi`ƞ%--ꙥlZ*zOE[BX8ÿHcP  {!:U8QhkiP]4@١!t\SYĂ;ǟ:Ke'tUz2}Z_ +5+mM '/9tW mjʚ(]8f“)SA8% 8m٬V'8yENM!i/βR-cV.sVR@/צnvCo|n^fUN@YGfO6ozl%ef_h~Czi{"[I` g/~,eJ1ڹ_): ۧJo*~ %n|vv{5EXc0 3V#$N7W ˁE89p”`xkg\X([9!9Ԙ}A_Tn0u6RimJW#-[+ӝkU GuXԟk~ª=ݭf:[wo-}f,2MHe0Ǻ|e 5Am*>2+&\!ȰwJ5ʲj m`F)18T_@G_o/NT5`*̠Tޣ ו.T{C|OFs7 TEL;bw囸%#'5osO`ͤ&'Cݪ.h7 K EY13bѿWV-^eg(`Jc7M\&WѮda;,ϩ%_Fʆ&HNGð so@0Xm祲=\,{C/`_ۣvج;0zJ JIU>YV|L M[X[ܷvJ3}>7IS0'c\eofV1 Sl9W[adT;dl5e;/Y5)뫄Vd7O)P=;i#QfSz>)(xΏW_kq'c?])n * % RSP QaYppfQ<)J^C-ƩZBuZ-r"Q\ P:X;Fu©zJOU_%RT1B0 1~Q+q_k+(ˊG ^c3]8:'Z25v`k<}Um*[ mE=ydL30FQeΩO cP墨ɱN1cj%1<kȽ:qn 1%!չNe?HN$KgʪSHN^2m#nou= _FWBb,W?ujW,/|  qQޙ#.,R_f5&g=Sg,řUerGOy@YLZęUz%X bzƴ߬S"#!Lfʎ,)X[pߤCTPn|܌r8!񑄌wO|wGiyJ>1fj\E̥BƐrwAb\z7)lLM/fVVdVKGvޖ>.a:S L[-HC4SiJˮHb$):*װ vʫJwXW# 74ScU"~ϱ;9,gE `H>jE"(]K<*ZQ[P( h_T9vjg J5Yqf(+: PXMy.L^mF5=0հ#2gOEH޲!a2J>c֍;KGT/f%Qɥv/-YO[fы69:Bz@le(K#x=$i)4_ȶ7tŁ"%zMV5j=L+ ]s|#gA"i-0Qޅ5&p6`T *O'CT4lmX s6X/j׾2'g[l:qM.|-j4y i-EQ:7Ӿ[(vpIo}h [KFRN7[V}l&mX߀mxg)&cjVlCvETC\ٵϩn;t^A.Q8\^e%F!}x>2*`-ūu._#8^eKUtX͏frBTIK/`Db31/rMt:*dy"% >MBs.DK=Z!8!eЃ eV1a&|xLz|+(7/7kfU?;ѩ[N V7]97,z z3ɀ̧ͣTղ9<W]-譗^6bL9CRu_f&ćI=w٥6kO͂"+1CO?! )V:1l,kfXZspp6نQli즰xv9u#pFW+=0Î*Oޒ9Uh+HMw6E%WpQ H$ށr˗ۘsRzy *LhOnO8)K-Sg(0 ʇxd4fLXڙhjZ{-,HsRȎi8xt ڐB q[frHmؤ8I{'E4^SF޲O@YMLjh[VWQ\ 0?HB[z< C4QSg],6\yű$%z (F.$[0KP/ a҈gh3O>PJ@FkRm {njMV<2U]&D;o7v(=T?{t~U^4g *i*OȃtaYFG'(&/g2sޜ0+j$:^M3#Ρ ]Ֆ/y8z!7YEMHOL8'(r5^Ӆ&Y|]ެ7CPD+qozH{u- NR`Q'aX7a'[?xer|Q;rBKQV9_TF׊[- jO?27(n^=/n/U^NfՋWݾzQ7G~jj8 hQ'yLsr sbk4LǓۧp,CIROZ;pQ5~W&*WinYĿǎvGfu[XN*_MT4Yr *i sK{r1CvldwU/ xu_we8|ިB#gS4b4 >֯6V s/C ԃۦ|g=Zc:=্" T0 vJ~Tq4zqtS*9δȸ$?g9ٓ'_\;f.SC9bXCpJWYF$>e^JU8E3}|yh˜yNbbT3)u11Igy 6:v`^B~B!sUӝ{*5|⹏oJSIv8 IEbj*]sEo:~nMk,"jla2r] C />IrikG/+4 +,AKtd'G V-5Ϛ5 ʒoՍ^aQvQ6| R5J ֞O's5/Iѣ SMM`w^斎QmR2&v0Rٍ6^4=[d&c22`rٱj8Zre**VPK_ϙQFçܷxͲa&7L^5FCqO9AsA1@i1s㾉?͌it!+p&)M[SvJgzBHټZ=K?'HbQλhi/U >v&[A{I*э{R<[=c0&kXE0e^)e|}ba3{=LkU.+!2 l[v`%ir0)ҫ5ʁ=Ct"mt9ObuL-)l3Њ6K&QT)=<Kk|)GS&7:.ZFѝYVcQΞ$ǥ׫pY즕^-x҇@6xթ[Y2~Y-NZDM]4n"U?&6s甆XfdٸTIՋ-T δAm2] 2@EmB9|W@X, h`4YڗQ,)!V< @sP"gw|6A*M>OVgx(7T{Xz`/V#e4Jlِ~% 4GXM$\Ըx)UϵUx踌ԫv 4جӟԭ z]6$wRldzoP5vSROv2) -˷lɲJu*@u*d} hnÖ8 xkz%-  v/؆ؚe]XD_e(;X?jﻞ`b5<*Q^`؛-w\>HZ61%ت.,MB5t0)nUS jN*lFo<,Ec%@"{̠/DznK[c:*kzp;}k]< 45&a=2kEG&Ire =qṾ8zz*.DŽUMvc?=3Hl[AՔ&+MY~53T-Aj}(729cղoxMoUex|1\g)*O`ͺG2plAnVn*O5/; šՇDzG6,>4*.z Ww5&z"J>d^nᦵa~l'='k l6ijKr-8)먆]ثWߴ,ȌW̯8iwd4;>bm{ּם[HVQʴ,l@t 3s6.5|@e`(mJ~ÔZ8kTW{ebBVW5EaGYjY` M ޼Oe22|69:&VkYoC÷ 7 <#scׇr ^I8)L-7&ÙxV%dj;X΋zJ70ů Ȼ1MEAsEdjJI!6%.6*a9{u:61;VpK"\bZnT_q2RUjsYe{YP׹Y8mG26ډ= 5U:1'ކluK y?jUgkfu1UjNXb͝g0r -#XK^4_ςkcCS.7E`{!{v*d4kҗKu%y+|a璩͒02qyƒy^(lJ?+M &g=a&ڀUKa_>c'lZQ^Q9y'SKi VFGVCM:.&ti kg9|I-(pw8ƍ&y;\#kwn٪S՞w(FicF
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1