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The future is already here -- if you know
where to look for it. Today's military is already using
technology that will transform society tomorrow, and their
laboratories are working on projects far ahead of anything
in the civilian sector.
War has always been a driver of innovation,
from the swordsmiths who discovered the secrets of iron
and steel, to the unleashing of nuclear power during WWII
and the Pentagon's creation of the first Internet. Modern
computers and the space industry owe their existence to
the military, and since 1945 the relationship between military
needs and modern business has grown ever closer, especially
in the USA.
David Hambling is a writer specializing
in military technology and in this book he traces the story
of this military-commercial crossover in the modern era
and highlights likely areas of significant development for
the future. The prototypes for intelligent machines, wireless
power transmission and hypersonic airliners, as well as
many other new and surprising developments, are already
in the pipeline.
David Hambling writes for New Scientist
and the science section of the Guardian, specializing
in military technology. He also explores the wilder side
of science in a monthly column for the Fortean Times.
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