Ideas
Cryptology from the Crypt: How I Cracked a 70-year-old Coded Message from Beyond the Grave
The code was created by the late Cambridge professor and scientist Robert Henry Thouless, who passed away in 1984.
Emerging Tech
How an Autonomous Self-Assembling Space Robot Could Transform NASA’s Future Missions
The Archinaut One could support NASA’s efforts to reach the moon and Mars—and one day, potentially defend itself in outer space.
Emerging Tech
Why Agencies Aren’t Buying More Electric Vehicles
Federal fleets are getting more energy-efficient, but officials said electric vehicles aren’t viable at this time.
Emerging Tech
3D-Printed Salt Gives Form to Absorbable Bone Implants
3D-printed ‘salt templates’ have paved the way for new porous magnesium scaffolds for creating bone implants the body can absorb, researchers report.
Emerging Tech
The Unsettling Rise of the Urban Narc App
It’s getting easier for city residents to use technology that can report bad drivers who block bike lanes. Welcome to the self-surveillance era of traffic safety.
Ideas
Worker-Protection Laws Aren't Ready for an Automated Future
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality and advanced monitoring systems have already begun altering workplaces in fundamental ways that may soon become impossible to ignore.
Cybersecurity
The Pentagon Is Exploring New Ways to Isolate Its Networks
Three companies have already received multimillion-dollar contracts to explore new ways to protect the data flowing through the military’s IT systems.
Emerging Tech
CBP to Test Autonomous Drones for Use at the Border
The experimental project reached the fourth and final stage of development: testing in real-world environments.
Modernization
Defense Department Awards Its Other Multibillion Cloud Contract
The Marine Corps plans to test Defense Enterprise Office Solutions products in degraded environments.
Digital Government
Pentagon Struggles to Address Service Member Suicides
Despite expanded initiatives, veteran and military suicides continue to rise.
Emerging Tech
DHS Launches Smart City Sensor Pilot in St. Louis
The outcomes could inform the city’s future procurement decisions.
Ideas
The 3 Waves of Accelerating RPA in Government
When it comes time to actually execute RPA, it’s tough to know where to start and how to scale agencywide.
Emerging Tech
TSA Launches Facial Recognition Pilot at Las Vegas Airport
The agency will assess how the tech verifies travelers’ live facial images against pictures taken from travelers’ identity documents.
Digital Government
Pentagon Sees ‘No Major Concerns’ With Raytheon-United Technologies Merger
The Defense Department’s top weapons buyer, Ellen Lord, gives stamp of approval to what would be the second-largest defense and aerospace company ever.
Cybersecurity
The Pentagon Wants to Bolster DIU’s Cyber Defenses
The department is looking for penetration testers, red teams and cyber training to protect its startup incubator from online attacks.
Emerging Tech
New Rule Will Let Energy’s Labs Show Off Latest Tech To Attract Industry
The Energy Department has a mandate to push new technologies into the private sector. A new rule allows the labs to hold demos to get industry excited.
Digital Government
TSA Agents Say They’re Not Discriminating Against Black Women, But Their Body Scanners Might Be
The full-body scanners at airports across the country frequently give false alarms for Afros, braids, twists and other hairstyles popular among black women.
Digital Government
When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side
Transgender and gender nonconforming people say they have been pressured to expose their genitals during TSA searches at airports. The encounters stem from shortcomings in the agency’s technology and insufficient training of its staff.
Digital Government
Survey: Public Wants Government Websites to Be Easier to Use
Government’s sites are also perceived as more secure than commercial sites, a new Booz Allen Hamilton survey suggests.
Ideas