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Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2008 Symposium (2009)

Chapter: UNDERSTANDING AND COUNTERING THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, Introduction--J. Scott Goldstein and Gregory A. Hebner

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Suggested Citation:"UNDERSTANDING AND COUNTERING THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, Introduction--J. Scott Goldstein and Gregory A. Hebner." National Academy of Engineering. 2009. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2008 Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12523.
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Page 123
Suggested Citation:"UNDERSTANDING AND COUNTERING THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, Introduction--J. Scott Goldstein and Gregory A. Hebner." National Academy of Engineering. 2009. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2008 Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12523.
×
Page 124
Suggested Citation:"UNDERSTANDING AND COUNTERING THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, Introduction--J. Scott Goldstein and Gregory A. Hebner." National Academy of Engineering. 2009. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2008 Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12523.
×
Page 125
Suggested Citation:"UNDERSTANDING AND COUNTERING THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, Introduction--J. Scott Goldstein and Gregory A. Hebner." National Academy of Engineering. 2009. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2008 Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12523.
×
Page 126

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Understanding and Countering the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Introduction J. Scott Goldstein SAIC McLean, Virginia Gregory A. Hebner Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico One has only to glance at a newspaper to understand that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) represents an emerging threat to the safety and security of people around the world. The mere hint that a nation or nonstate organization is trying to acquire a WMD capability, be it nuclear, chemical, or biological, is enough to earn those groups penalties ranging from economic and political embargos to military action. Because of the significant threat to their populations and economic well-being, nations often feel forced to react, even if information on the nature of the threat is not clear or is incomplete. The enormous complexity of the challenge necessitates a multilevel approach that includes public policy and innovative technologies. The papers in this section address issues associated with understanding the reasons for, and adopting countermeasures to, the proliferation of WMDs. National policies and international diplomacy are both involved in creating an international environment that discourages proliferation and, it is hoped, elimi- nates the reasons nations may feel the need to acquire WMDs. The authors discuss national and international policy issues to frame the discussion and technical means, such as sensing platforms, that have been developed to provide timely 125

126 FRONTIERS OF ENGINEERING intelligence on this evolving threat. Although these cutting-edge systems provide a wealth of information that can inform national policies and responses, gaps remain in our capabilities of observing, characterizing, and determining the intentions and motivations of other countries and nonstate organizations.

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Every year at the U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 100 of this country's best and brightest engineers, ages 30 to 45, have an opportunity to learn from their peers about pioneering work being done in many areas of engineering. The symposium gives early career engineers working in academia, industry, and government in many different engineering disciplines an opportunity to make contacts with and learn from individuals they would not meet in the usual round of professional meetings. This networking may lead to collaborative work and facilitate the transfer of new techniques and approaches. It is hoped that the exchange of information on current developments in many fields of engineering will lead to insights that may be applicable in specific disciplines and thereby build U.S. innovative capacity. Different topics are covered each year, and, with a few exceptions, different individuals participate.

The four general topics covered at the 2008 meeting were: drug delivery systems, emerging nanoelectronic devices, cognitive engineering, and countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight cutting-edge developments in engineering research and technical work.

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