Merle Robinson
The James Webb space telescope (JWST) was launched December 25, 2021 after years of work. Learn about the intricate engineering of the JWST, designed to view objects 100x fainter than Hubble can. We’ll discuss the telescope’s planned missions including observing the oldest and most distant objects in the universe and of characterizing the atmospheres of […]
Overview, analysis and insights on current and near-future world affairs. This panel discussion and seminar, the signature event of the National Security Decision Making Game (NSDMG) staff, explores current, and potential future, problem areas around the world with a focus on domestic/international areas they feel deserve may not have gotten the attention from the media […]
Continued discussion of current military/political/economic topics of interest/concern, analysis and insights on current/future world affairs. This seminar led by the National Security Decision Making (NSDM) Game staff, explores current, and potential future, problem areas around the world. Want to know what to expect in the next year? What might happen and what are its implications? […]
Overview, analysis and insights on current and near-future world affairs. This panel discussion and seminar, the signature event of the National Security Decision Making (NSDM) Game staff, explores current, and potential future, problem areas around the world. Want to know what to expect in the next year? What might happen and what are its implications? […]
Lecture. Learn how to get a historical or contemporary period wargame published by Decision Games. What are the design guidelines, playtesting, artwork, and legal aspects of submitting a prototype? Presented by “Doc” Cummins of Decision Games.
An overview of emerging tools, approaches, and fields that are entering into current and future military conflicts. Presenter: Merle Robinson of the National Security Decision Making, Inc staff.
A discussion of the current events and expectations over the next five years in Eastern Europe from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. Covers lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, consequences of the war, and the changing view of European security. Presented by Merle Robinson, lead simulation designer and retired DoD analyst, with Captain Mark McDonagh, USN/Ret. […]
Electromagnetic Pulse, or EMP, has become a favorite boogieman of authors and screenplay writers depicting apocalyptic scenarios. But what is the real history and what is the potential for EMP weapons, terrorism and attacks? What is the mechanism and what affects the damage done? Lecture attempts to separate the facts, engineering and science from the […]
Lecture discusses recent history of drone use in Ukraine and other theaters. Describes synergy of drone use with advanced robotic and artificial intelligence. What drones can do under the right conditions. Drone units, drone carriers, drones for combat, drones as wingmen and combat support for piloted combat aircraft, for surveillance and for auxiliary duties. Where […]
Find out how a near future World War Three situation can become fast and deadly. Bring your imagination for a freewheeling game of international war/peace where you vie for power as decision-maker within your nation and the world in a near-future scenario. Political, Military, Nuclear, Biological and Cyber capabilities all are part of the fun. […]
Find out how a near-future World War Three situation can become fast and deadly. Bring your imagination for a freewheeling game of international war/peace where you vie for power as decision-maker within your nation and the world in a near-future scenario. Political, Military, Nuclear, Biological and Cyber capabilities all are part of the fun. We […]
One German observer remarked that the attack on Dieppe was “Too small for an invasion, too big for a raid.” What factors were involved that led to the launching of this raid by British, Canadian and American forces? Inter-Allied politics, personal ambitions, Intelligence operations, and other issues all contributed. What went wrong (a lot), what […]
Discussing NSDM’s new American Revolution Crisis game variant, the lead designer 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 play and […]
Lecture will provide a framework for grasping cyberwar & address current debates & issues that are critical for understanding this new domain of war. Lecture provides definitional clarity & an overview of the types of attacks that have been used within the international system. It will address historical & current examples of cyberwar & the […]
RThe Cuban Missile Crisis of 60 years ago has been recognized as the most tense period in the Cold War, perhaps in world history, as the two superpowers stared each other down for several days and nuclear war was potentially one unintended consequence or misinterpreted event away. Today it is heavily portrayed in popular culture, […]
Russia and her evolving position, and her antics, on the world stage. Russian policy and operational changes over the last 10 years. Where is the common ground and where are the friction points with the US and the West? Panel by the National Security Decision Making, Inc staff.
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 generals and admirals. Here’s your country; you’ve heard of it, it’s not fictional, it’s real, and so […]
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 Generals and Admirals. Here’s your country; you’ve heard of it, it’s not fictional, it’s real, and so […]
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 Generals and Admirals. Here’s your country; you’ve heard of it, it’s not fictional, it’s real, and so […]
Geopolitical, military and economic RPG set in the 1980s. With the US administration changing and with Brezhnev reaching his personal expiration date, the world is about to change. But how? Players take senior positions in the US, UK, USSR, Israel, Red China or Cuba, dealing with domestic and international events. This isn’t history, but rather […]
Geopolitical, military and economic role-playing game. Take senior leadership positions in the US, USSR, UK, Israel, Red China or Cuba, dealing with domestic and international events. Scenario: it’s 1961. But the future isn’t set. It’s all history up to this point. But then, these strange things start to happen. Deal with them. Do you feel […]
Geopolitical, military and economic role-playing game. Take senior leadership positions in the US, USSR, UK, Israel, Red China or Cuba, dealing with domestic and international events. Scenario: it’s 1961. But the future isn’t set. It’s all history up to this point. But then, these strange things start to happen. Deal with them. Do you feel […]
What really happened at Chernobyl? What we see in miniseries and documentaries largely steers clear of technical details, or worse, was written by someone overly fond of exploring the drama but clueless on the physics, nuclear engineering and radiological details. Then there are activists, often clueless as well, who exaggerate the description of the damage […]
Lecture covers the sequence of events that took the American Colonists from mostly-loyal British citizens to the brink of armed revolt in eleven years. The French and Indian war was over, the Colonists were looking forward settling new lands west of the Appalachians that had been ceded by the French and they’d been promised. Then […]
Roots of revolution: on the 250th anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party, part of a multi-year National Security Decision Making Game staff lecture series on key events in the American Revolutionary War. This examines the Boston Tea Party, in context of events affecting American & English discontent with affairs in the colonies, including the […]