The Watson Institute at Brown University publishes a journal (Brown Journal Of World Affairs) that led me to see what else they do. Below is a description of a recent conference sponsored by the institute.

The Watson Institute’s Global Security Program held a two-day conference in June 3 to 4 to define a global security agenda that better addresses critical issues overshadowed by the “war on terror.” “Beyond Terror: A New Global Security Agenda” drew together leading experts, practitioners, and program officers from traditional (national and international security) and less conventional (human, network, and global security) arenas. Among the issues that the participants assessed were the dangers of organized warfare and transnational terrorism against the threats and vulnerabilities created by failed states, resource conflicts, transnational crime, environmental degradation, pandemics, weapons proliferation, information warfare, and genocide.

This stuff is not too far from "Rensselaerium." This material is being developed for morphing structures - specifically airplanes. For more check out the website of CRG, the company that developed the material.

morphing structures

Heard about this show on NPR's Day to Day at lunch today. This is the dude who made Super Size Me, and his new show, 30 Days on FX, seems worth checking out.

"The show, hosted by documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, plays with the idea of what it's really like to live in someone else's shoes for 30 days."

For the oh so ladies... (better res here)

Refugees fleeing in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Here are a couple photos that required a lawsuit to be released. Our leaders (and even mass-media) seem unwilling to acknowledge the cost of war. For more check out the Nat'l Security Archive at GWU.

For all those tired of Microsoft Office, there is an open-source alternative available for free at OpenOffice.org. We loaded it on the craptop, but haven't done much with it, though it seems promising.