Google for the Brain

A colleague of mine, Scott Coughlin, established a blog called a IT Thought of the Day. Afer reading an article in today's USA today about "augmented reality", here is my thought- coupling a Google for the brain with “augmented reality”.
How often have you recognized someone, but forgot their name ? Although this by itself may be embarrassing, memory loss can obviously have more dire consequences. Our brain is a sponge that absorbs a lot of information starting at an early age. Would it not be useful to be able to recall what is locally stored? Indeed, I find myself using Google to seek information about stuff that I was taught in school, but have forgotten. According to Gary Marcus, professor of psychology at New York University, “What we remember at any single moment depends heavily on the accidents of which bits of mental flotsam and jetsam happen to be active. Our mood, our environment, even our posture can influence our delicate memories.” Making our memories more accurate and more accessible would require a Google-like search engine which combines cue-driven promptings similar to human memory with the location-addressability of computers. Furthermore, there's no reason in principle why neural prosthetics could not incorporate this sort of functionality.
To take this one step further, you could upload this memory bank information to a smartphone which combines a camera, GPS and web access. The phone's camera can already "recognize" an object or place that a user is pointing to by overlaying the screen's image to location data. The travel industry is starting to exploit this new "augmented reality" technology to give tourist-friendly information about restaurants, sights and shops. This information could readily be displayed on the heads-up display of the wearer’s glasses. Imagine while you are talking to someone you have access to all his public information (e.g. Facebook etc.) and all the information that was shared in previous conversations or observations. A more far-future neural prosthetic might actually have a direct neural linkup to your brain, allowing you to see Google results on your retina. If everybody were on Facebook, we could know anybody’s name that we saw on the street – and more.
Opposing viewpoints about whether having a Google brain is a good thing or bad thing are discussed in Discover magazine's Google is Making Us Smarter and Atlantic Monthly's Is Google Making Us Stupid?.
There are additional cons. One issue that will have to be resolved is the downside of surfacing repressed memories which are usually traumatic in nature and block a painful time in one’s life. Another issue is that in general our Google brains also are changing to become overly dependent on the rewards of the Internet. According to neuroscientists stopping this frequent self-directed intellectual stimulation, may become hard to stop. Not only does this result in less downtime for our brains, but it also can lead to exhaustion. Many studies have shown how important downtime in the brain is for creative thinking, working memory in general, all complex problem solving, and of course, error detection.
After all, when we recognize someone we want to actually get their name right.

Maritime Domain Awareness at a nexus

Recent piracy activity calls attention to the notion that today’s interdependent global economy depends on the free and uninterrupted use of the sea. Not only is the U.S. Navy well positioned to help other maritime forces and organizations maintain an orderly maritime domain, the enabler of Maritime Domain Awareness is critically positioned at the nexus of the technological and cultural implications of networking; the renewed impetus for data sharing across government and non-governmental organizations; and the general goodwill for building maritime partnerships.

Networking
Networking and social networking, in particular, are the astonishing phenomena of our time. Conventional wisdom is that the value of a network is demonstrated by Metcalfe's Law (a network grows in proportion to the square of the number of users). However, Reed’s Law argues that Metcalfe actually understates the potential value of the network, because the real power of the network is not n² but 2n, which is a number that gets large very fast. Ipso facto if Facebook was a country it would be the 4th largest country in the world.As digital networking brings scale and global reach to all aspects of our lives and activities, established processes will adapt and evolve. Collaboration will replace structural impediments that often exclude valuable contributions. Wikipedia is an example of collaboration - small contributions/comments become a resource for all to use. Clay Shirky who focuses on the rising usefulness of decentralized technologies (and recently cited by ADM Stavridis) argues convincingly, that even though hierarchical organizations are established for the purpose of efficiently allocating resources and achieving goals, they are inherently inefficient and self-limiting. Networks can be an alternative to centralized and institutional structures. Consequently, legacy models of authority based on personal or institutional authority are evolving to what is termed algorithmic authority. This refers to regarding as authoritative the unmanaged process of extracting value from material from multiple sources - sources themselves that are not universally vetted for their trustworthiness. Trust comes from producing good results (Wikipedia), or when people trust others (eBay). A key enabler of Maritime Domain Awareness is a robust network that allows for information to be accessible, usable and sharable.

Info Sharing
Recently, after the attempt to bring down a Detroit-bound flight on December 25, the White House reiterated its information sharing policy. Although the 9/11 commission famously concluded that authorities did not “connect the dots”, the case for more information sharing got more impetus last Christmas. To highlight a new era of open Government, President Obama on his first day in office directed all agencies to adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure .Likewise gaining momentum is the unifying concept of information sharing for maritime security partnerships and for good reason. According to the Naval Studies Board, “A comprehensive MDA system would permit identification of threatening activities and anomalous behavior. Achieving such a system where it does not now exist—and strengthening it where there is already a foundation—must be viewed as a critical step in building regional partnerships.”Some regions already have established MDA information sharing networks, some examples being the Malacca Strait Security Initiative partnering Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia; the Gulf of Guinea network; the Joint Interagency Task Force-South that addresses concerns in the Caribbean region and the Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Center - Americas (VRMTC-A) in Latin America.Good enough, but the diversity and complexity of interests in the maritime domain require an outreach to additional entities: law enforcement agencies, local civil authorities, commercial and nongovernmental actors, like shipping and insurance companies.The downside of collecting all this flood of information (estimated at 1,200 exabytes) is the challenge of analyzing the data to spot patterns and extract useful information.There are policy issues. Critics perceived President Obama's plan for "knowledge discovery," as a revival of the controversial data-sifting program that the Bush administration launched after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A recent Economist article on the deluge of all this data points out that the potential for good depends on making the right choices about when to restrict the flow of data – and when to share it.
From a technical standpoint, the Navy’s emphasis and investment in Maritime Fusion and Analysis Services recognizes the challenge of finding the needle in the haystack. Using rules derived by crunching through billions of transactions, credit-card companies have led the way in their ability to monitor purchases and identify fraudulent ones with a high degree of accuracy (e.g. stolen credit cards are more likely to be used to buy hard liquor than wine). Similarly, fundamental to maritime anomaly detections are the rule sets that trigger an alert. Developing these rule sets comes under the umbrella of Techniques, Tactics and Procedures and should be a Navy priority.

Building partnerships
The security of any country is improved by improving situational awareness of what is happening in its maritime areas. Therefore any country ought to be willing to share relevant data with those it perceives to have congruent interests. Relationship building and information sharing during normal times is likely to influence the ease and trust with which information or individuals can be accessed in a time of crisis.ADM Roughead has remarked , “You cannot surge trust because trust will underpin everything that we do. Trust does not have a switch: you can't turn it on, you can't turn it off. It is something that takes time to build and must be worked cooperatively to maintain that trust.”The success of the 19th International Seapower Symposium (ISS) at the Naval War College underscored the world's maritime services’ enthusiastic commitment to bridge regional initiatives and build a network of partnerships by linking cooperative efforts beyond and across traditional regional maritime boundaries. "I believe that we maritime service chiefs are on the cutting edge of international partnership, and I do believe that we must challenge ourselves during ISS 19 to think expansively about how our mutual efforts can safeguard international peace and prosperity in the 21stcentury," said ADM Roughead.According to the Naval Studies Board, information sharing can be facilitated through combatant maritime operations centers which develop awareness and relationships with partner nations. Exercises and exchanges build trust.The bottom line is that the pace of networking, info sharing and partnership development is accelerating. Maritime Domain Awareness is on the bow wave.

DoD Official Policy on New/Social Media

The Department of Defense released its official policy on new/social media today. The policy (Directive-Type Memorandum 09-026), which is effective immediately, states that the default for the DoD non-classified network (the NIPRNET) is for open access so that all of DoD can use new media.

Social Networking

The Defense Department is considering banning Twitter, Facebook and other social-networking sites for security reasons because the sites may give hackers easy access to military networks.
Ledership is working the challenge of balancing the demand signal from soldiers, sailors and airmen (and also benefits of these tools) against the necessary operational security concerns that are inherently military.


The following short video presentation is illuminating:

United States Actions To Counter Piracy Off the Horn of Africa

Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Fact Sheet
September 1, 2009

The United States Government, in concert with the American maritime industry and other concerned nations and international organizations, continues to work to prevent pirates operating in the waters off of the Horn of Africa from interfering with maritime commerce, endangering mariners, hindering the provision of humanitarian aid to East Africa, and further destabilizing this troubled region.
Each year, approximately 33,000 commercial ships traverse the Gulf of Aden, making it among the world’s busiest shipping corridors. Since 2009, there were 138 pirate attacks on commercial vessels, of which 33 were successful. In 2008, there were 122 pirate attacks with 42 successes. In 2007, there were 19 pirate attacks with 12 successes.
A Coordinated Federal Response: The National Security Council issued the Partnership and Action Plan for Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa in December 2008 as an adjunct to the National Strategy for Maritime Security. Implementation of the Action Plan is overseen by the Counter-Piracy Steering Group, an interagency forum co-led by the Departments of State and Defense and consisting of representatives from the Departments of Justice, Treasury, Transportation (U.S. Maritime Administration), Homeland Security, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Department of State orchestrates United States participation in the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which was created following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851 in order to better coordinate international counter-piracy efforts. Over 75 bureaus, offices, and U.S. embassies are involved in this complex cross-cutting issue that has significant national security implications.
Working With Industry: The United States believes that a critical element to successfully deterring pirate attacks is for the commercial shipping industry to continue to provide input to, and follow, best practices. Accordingly, the U.S. Coast Guard revised its applicable Maritime Security Directive to require U.S.-flagged vessels to implement more effective measures to protect against pirates, particularly those vessels in the high-risk waters off of Somalia. The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) issues specific operational advice to U.S.-flagged ship owners and operators for the Horn of Africa. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, operated by MARAD, conducts counter-piracy training for midshipmen entering the Merchant Marine that includes identifying high-risk areas, evasive maneuvering, and repelling boarders. Finally, the United States has reiterated its firm, long-standing policy of not making concessions or paying any ransoms for the return of American hostages.
Actions By Naval Forces: The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard have contributed ships and aircraft to NATO’s counter piracy operations and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), a multinational coalition whose mission is to protect against piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. The command of CTF 151 rotates among partner navies regularly. The U.S. Navy and CTF-151 actively coordinate with and support the anti-piracy operations of NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield naval forces in the region, as well as those of the European Union’s naval Operation Atalanta. Despite the fact that over one million square miles of ocean are vulnerable to Somali piracy, the United States and other navies have succeeded so far in seizing or destroying 40 pirate vessels since August 2008, rendering 235 suspected pirates for prosecution in various countries, and confiscating numerous small arms and light weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades.
Harmonizing International Action: Following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851, the United States helped to create the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia to coordinate an effective international response to piracy in that region. The Contact Group participants coordinate their naval activities, judicial initiatives, commercial maritime interests, and public information sharing, and are also considering various efforts to map the financial infrastructure of pirates. To date, over 30 countries and international organizations participate in the Contact Group’s Working Group and plenary sessions. The United States chairs its Working Group on Strengthening Shipping Self-Awareness and Other Capabilities.
Capacity Building: The United States is developing a Maritime Security Sector Reform framework that delineates essential components of national maritime security and can serve as a tool for donor coordination. Working closely with United Nations organizations such as the International Maritime Organization and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, other Contact Group participants, and several countries in the region, the United States is supporting the capacity development of regional judicial, legislative, regulatory, and coastal forces in order to better protect against and respond to pirate attacks.
Legal Consequences: The United States believes that the first option for prosecution of a piracy incident should be by the affected state(s) -- the flag state or the state of nationality of the vessel’s owner or crew. The U.S. Department of Justice has already brought one alleged Somali pirate to the United States to stand trial in a case where it was the affected state (see http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/nyfo042109.htm). The United States continues to urge states to ensure that they have the proper domestic legal framework to prosecute suspected pirates in their national courts. If an affected state is unable to prosecute suspected offenders captured by the United States, the United States has a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya to facilitate the transfer of the suspected pirates to Kenya for prosecution in their courts. The United States is exploring similar arrangements with other states to handle cases when affected states are unable to prosecute pirates.

Knowledge Centric Sensei

According to Hirotaka Takeuchi, who is now dean of the Grad­uate School of International Corporate Strategy at Hitotsubashi University and a visiting professor at Harvard Business School, Tokyo-based business scholar Ikujiro Nonaka is “quite simply the father of knowledge management. His research over the last 20 years opened up a whole new field and set the stage for how the best organizations understand human capital today.” Nonaka’s concept relies on a community in which generosity is prevalent, people feel recognized as distinct individuals, and informal, honest communication is commonplace. Tacit knowledge is a key component. Tacit knowledge (as opposed to formal or explicit knowledge) is knowledge that is difficult to articulate and is more about the unspoken knowledge that people draw on from within themselves: observations, ingrained habits, inspirations, hunches, and other forms of awareness. Nonaka’s thesis is that organizations that favor explicit over tacit knowledge limit their capabilities in several ways: (1) defining competence as the ability to rank high in metrics rather than to succeed in real-world business, (2) view people skills as static and so fail to invest in the development of talent AND (3) get mired in IT-based knowledge systems that restrict, rather than enhance staff communication.
In his most recent book, Managing Flow, Nonaka and his colleagues trace the development of knowledge creation in robust detail concluding that there are four stages:
• Socialization involves mobilizing people for face-to-face communication and immersing them in shared experiences that help them develop empathy for customers.
• Externalization entails the translation of tacit experience into words and images that can be shared with a larger group (e.g. in­viting a seasoned team of frontline workers to design a training manual that describes their own tacitly acquired skills).
• Combination is the extension of tacit knowledge into explicit forms that can then be disseminated throughout the organization.
• Internalization is the reabsorption of explicit knowledge back into daily practice, but with an awareness of larger and more complex issues.
Closer to home, Professor Mark Nissen at the Naval Postgraduate has made his own well recognized contribution to mapping key concepts in the net centric warfare context. Just as understanding the mechanics of electrical flow is critical to developing useful electronic devices, understanding the mechanics of understanding information flow is critical to conceiving useful knowledge centric systems.

Bottom line is that designers of knowledge management systems are in left field if they treat humans as interchangeable parts, receiving and processing data. This explains why many companies have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in knowledge management systems that fail to deliver in­novative results.

Trident Warrior 2009

Here is link to a great YouTube video about Trident Warrior 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_CjJs-1PEc