Merle Robinson
Zero-point energy, ZPE, refers to energy that exists even at absolute zero. One form of this rises from quantum field theory, which cites a universe composed of continuous fluctuating fields formed from a huge amount of energy that we cannot see. Some argue this is an artifact of mathematics, not a real thing. Others say […]
Negotiated between November 1921 and February 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty between the World War I allies US, Britain, France, Italy and Japan averted a naval arms race. It ended the construction of new battleships and battlecruisers, placed armament and displacement limitations on aircraft carriers and cruisers, and prohibited construction of any new fortifications or […]
Building on past War Magic seminars for the Writers’ Track, in which we have discussed how armies fight, this time we answer your questions and examine how armies are raised, organized, fed, paid, etc., the who, what, where, when and how that enable armies to do what they do, and how these functions may be […]
The invention of fixed wing aircraft led to the expansion of warfare into an additional dimension during the First World War. This seminar looks to answer your questions and examine what the history of air warfare, aerial combat, air-to-ground and air-to-sea warfare, and Isaac Newton, can tell us about the use of magic in aerial […]
An overview of modern military thought on fighting in the world’s megacities. As the global population grows and cities become ever denser, military planners are preparing for near future conflict scenarios in and around urban megacities. Particularly in the developing world, how will new technologies-UAVs, robots, AI, space-based platforms-be employed in these challenging environments? Panel […]
How wargames assist with the advance of innovation. Evolution of wargames as tools for understanding the past and shaping the future. Presenter: Colonel Matt Caffrey (USAF, ret.), the “Dean” of Air Force Wargaming and author of “On wargaming,” a US Naval War College free publication available at https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/newport-papers/43/
Ryan and Elizabeth were into Chernobyl before the HBO miniseries made it cool and well before the Russian occupation, travelling there in 2013, ’15, and ’16. They will share photos, videos and stories from areas not accessible on past public Chernobyl tours, such as the hospital basement, contaminated vehicle graveyards, the unfinished Unit 5 reactor […]
Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, and with a population of 43 million, is Europe’s eighth-most populous country. Ukraine has maintained own unique ethnic and cultural identity despite the fact that, throughout history, parts of Ukraine have been ruled by Poland, the Mongols, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Nazi Germany and, […]
Start of Cold War: US & Soviet navies need to stake claims in their respective national security constructs. Soviets can’t compete with West’s navies symmetrically, made same decision the Germans had in both world wars: make a submarine force able to cut Atlantic supply lines. US submarine service recognized where Soviets were heading, evolved existing […]
National Security Decision Making Game, Inc. designers discuss the American Revolution Crisis Game. The team has conducted seminar gaming since 1990, using professional techniques. As the US observes the 250th anniversary of key events, they felt it was a good time to reflect on personalities, agendas, events & energies that drove decisions. Developed in 2022 […]
Discussing NSDM’s new American Revolution Crisis MegaGame variant, the NSDM game design team will discuss insights gained in creating a model of the event for roll playing purposes. What historical figures to include, to amalgamate, or to exclude? What historical events to plan as inserts, what to leave out, what counter-factual events to stimulate game […]
With combat raging across Ukrainian nuclear reactor sites and sites changing hands between Ukraine and Russia, with shells, rockets and missiles landing inside the sites’ perimeters, concerns of nuclear accidents spring to mind with memories of Three Mile Island, Fukushima and, ironically in the case of Ukraine, Chernobyl. Minimally-informed media personalities breathlessly proclaim gloom and […]
Nuclear reactor and weapons accidents, radiological assassination tools and terrorists’ weapons of mass destruction, fallout from nuclear tests and even nuclear combat, hazards of medical waste. Radiation is real, but how much of the threat is dramatized or fictionalized by authors and screenplay writers, or demagogued by activists with agendas? Lecture discusses the history and […]
The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union returned the state of Russia as a player in the international system. Led by Vladimir Putin, Russia has attempted to forge for itself a dominant position in that system. This lecture looks at the goals and motivations of Russia under Putin and […]
It has been said the foundations of science are observation and classification. Together they enable the forming of hypotheses that enable later applications. This focuses on the utility of wargames, and varied approaches, to wargaming. Part 3 of How Wargames Have Shaped History and How They May Shape the Future. Presenter: Colonel Matt Caffrey (USAF, […]
Wargames are as old as civilization, and perhaps older. This is an overview of the development of wargaming from the End of World War II to today. Part 2 of How Wargames Have Shaped History and How They May Shape the Future. Presenter: Colonel Matt Caffrey (USAF, ret.), the “Dean” of Air Force Wargaming and […]
Wargames are as old as civilization, and perhaps older. This is an overview of the development of wargaming from ancient times to the End of World War II. Part 1 of How Wargames Have Shaped History and How They May Shape the Future. Presenter: Colonel Matt Caffrey (USAF, ret.), the “Dean” of Air Force Wargaming […]
Geopolitical, military and economic role-playing game. Players take senior leadership positions in a real-world nation. Here’s the game: You players are the politicians. You over there, you’re the Cabinet. You folks over by the big maps are the military leadership. Here’s your country; you’ve heard of it, it’s not fictional, it’s real, and so are […]
Geopolitical, military and economic role-playing game. Players take senior leadership positions in a real-world nation. Here’s the game: You players are the politicians. You over there, you’re the Cabinet. You folks over by the big maps are the military leadership. Here’s your country; you’ve heard of it, it’s not fictional, it’s real, and so are […]
Near-future variant of the geopolitical, military and economic role-playing National Security Decision Making MegaGame. Players take senior leadership positions in a real-world nation. Explore the boundaries between science fact and science fiction. Experience world crises and experience mysterious events in this futuristic scenario. Deal with world challenges. Expect anything from crazed dictators, revolutions, space pirates, […]
Near-future, 2-hour crisis-oriented variant of the geopolitical, military and economic role-playing National Security Decision Making MegaGame with futuristic and science fiction elements. Take a senior leadership in the US, China, Russia, or other major power, facing a world crisis that might be tomorrow’s real-world headline. It’s the world almost as you know it, everything’s normal, […]
Near-future, 2-hour crisis-oriented variant of the geopolitical, military and economic role-playing National Security Decision Making MegaGame with futuristic and science fiction elements. Take a senior leadership in the US, China, Russia, or other major power, facing a world crisis that might be tomorrow’s real-world headline. It’s the world almost as you know it, everything’s normal, […]
In space, no one can hear you scream, but everyone can see you fly. The geography of warfare in space is dominated not by distances as most would think, but by delta-v and sensors. How everything we know about fighting on the land, sea, and air won’t help us in space. What is up there […]
Militaries throughout history have had a vested interest in keeping their communiques secrets. This lecture will provide an overview of mechanical and electromechanical cipher machines from the Civil War through the Cold War, such as the Vigenère cipher, rotor ciphers based on the German Enigma, and the Hagelin pin and lug machines. The role of […]
Lecture: An overview of the impact of Logistics from ancient times to today with a view to how wargames have handled the subject poorly or well. Presented by Dr. George F. Nafziger (Captain/USN, ret.), author of many Napoleonic and Military History books.