Image Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory / Flickr On December 5th, a team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved ignition, creating a nuclear reaction which generates more energy than it consumes. The breakthrough was announced by the Biden administration on December 13th, once again sparking conversation surrounding nuclear fusion and its … Continue reading The Geopolitics of Nuclear Fusion
Category: Emerging Technology
The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Photo credit: Scientific American Just as many dismissed the possibility of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, academics continue to assert a low probability that Russia will employ nuclear weapons in Ukraine. To be sure, there are many disincentives: the risk of escalation with the US and NATO; the likelihood of being isolated from … Continue reading The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Space Force & The Limits of “Semper Supra”
Source: Image Designed by Aidan Poling (author) using Stable Diffusion AI On September 20, 2022, the United States Space Force released its fight song “SemperSupra” (Always Above). It flopped. The song was widely mocked across social media and late-night television. Much of the criticism understandably focused on the melody and lyrics. However, these critiques miss … Continue reading Space Force & The Limits of “Semper Supra”
The Use of Drones in the Russia-Ukraine War
A Bayraktar TB2 drone, photo credit: The New York Times While Russia’s military capabilities were overestimated, analysts failed to predict just how effective Ukraine’s adoption of asymmetric capabilities would be. Drones are making an impact on the defense of Ukraine given their ability to track targets, shoot missiles, and provide a better visual of battlefields. … Continue reading The Use of Drones in the Russia-Ukraine War
Fractured Authorities Equal Shattered Satellites: Reforming Space Traffic Management
Photo: European Space Agency Satellite Break-Up We don’t need the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The U.S. military has the radar to track aircraft and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the spectrum to communicate with and direct them. Nothing else is required for air traffic management. Sound ridiculous? It is! Unfortunately, such a scenario is … Continue reading Fractured Authorities Equal Shattered Satellites: Reforming Space Traffic Management
Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Starship 20, Booster 4, and Starship launch tower at Boca Chica, Texas. Photo Credit: Elon Musk / SpaceX The United States’ democratic capitalist model has many advantages. Its freedoms serve as an engine for rapid innovation and economic growth. The advancement of the US space sector and commercial rocketry is largely due to this dynamism. … Continue reading Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Democracy in Danger: How AI-Enhanced Disinformation is Threatening Democracy
Soon after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy circulated on social media, asking Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. It appeared not only on social media, but also on Ukraine’s national television station, Ukraine 24. The entirely faked video demonstrates firsthand the threat which deepfakes pose to democracy. … Continue reading Democracy in Danger: How AI-Enhanced Disinformation is Threatening Democracy
Space Property Rights and the Future of American Space Travel
January 27th, 1967 has a bitter-sweet legacy in the history of space travel. In Cape Canaveral Florida, Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chafee were killed during a rehearsal for the inaugural flight of the Apollo program. The same day the United States, Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom endeavored to forge a peaceful future … Continue reading Space Property Rights and the Future of American Space Travel
The Rise of Ransomware
Post on Groove ransomware data leak site calling for attacks on the United States. 2021 may be recorded as the year of the rise of ransomware. Combating the cyber-crime operation—which encrypts data, crippling computer systems, and requests cryptocurrency in exchange for decryption—has become central to international efforts to secure critical infrastructure and protect victims against … Continue reading The Rise of Ransomware
Analyzing Five Alleged IRA Reddit Accounts
Word cloud showing five alleged IRA accounts’ most-discussed topics topics on Reddit. This graph was generated using a frequency analysis of selected comments and submission from Reddit. This piece was authored by an anonymous SSP student Background The Russian Federation’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of much media fanfare, … Continue reading Analyzing Five Alleged IRA Reddit Accounts