CIA technology 50 years ahead of current technology

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

It's the usual exaggerating teacher trying to impress students. Let's say the CIA has access to some things that are aren't public.

i don't get that really. As far as electronics goes, what's available to the public is what's available to governments. But there are specific ways they're used that could be considerably more advanced. Now if the discussion is about materials and vehicle technology, then maybe there are some skunk works technology that the DoD and CIA have. I've heard it said that the best aircraft that the US Air Force have are at least 20 years ahead of what Russia and China have, and a lot of it has to do with manufacturing technology that they simply can't reproduce yet.

 

[Oildudeny]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

It's the usual exaggerating teacher trying to impress students. Let's say the CIA has access to some things that are aren't public. Here is a paranoid list of what they might have. 1. They have a tab on you and know what websites you visit. 2. Using facial recognition software, GPS on your smart phone, cameras, they pretty much know where you are at all times. 3. They can listen in to all your conversations. 4. They know of all your purchases. 5, They know your financial situation. 6. They can watch you from satellites any time they want. So now the question is: what do they have that we haven't even thought about? I suppose it may along the lines of AI. Or perhaps your Roomba is picking up skin samples off your floor and anayizing your DNA. I don't think they are 50 years ahead but perhaps we'll hear about what they are doing 5 or 10 years from now.

They mind as well move into my home...they just won't be sliding into bed with my old lady. I have a 12 gauge riot shotgun they act up.

 

[StevieC]

All I can say is that I appreciate what the CIA does for the U.S. because as a friendly ally we benefit from it and that's great.

 

[chainblu]

I agree with the 5 - 10 year estimates with the way technology is growing these day,

Originally Posted by walterjay

Fifty years from now we will be beaming things around the world.

Actually, 50 years ago, they were saying that too.

 

[Onetor]

They were reading the Iraqi watches from space in the 1991 Gulf War. This all opensource and has been written in books. Check out DARPA and the SDI project.

 

[Onetor]

Originally Posted by Oildudeny

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

It's the usual exaggerating teacher trying to impress students. Let's say the CIA has access to some things that are aren't public. Here is a paranoid list of what they might have. 1. They have a tab on you and know what websites you visit. 2. Using facial recognition software, GPS on your smart phone, cameras, they pretty much know where you are at all times. 3. They can listen in to all your conversations. 4. They know of all your purchases. 5, They know your financial situation. 6. They can watch you from satellites any time they want. So now the question is: what do they have that we haven't even thought about? I suppose it may along the lines of AI. Or perhaps your Roomba is picking up skin samples off your floor and anayizing your DNA. I don't think they are 50 years ahead but perhaps we'll hear about what they are doing 5 or 10 years from now.

They mind as well move into my home...they just won't be sliding into bed with my old lady. I have a 12 gauge riot shotgun they act up.

?

 

[Onetor]

I am def pro technology. The USA does not have the numbers for a protracted war. Only with technology are we superior for the time being. I have nothing to hide. Every key stroke and voice pattern is recorded and archived. However; one EMP can put us back in the stone age.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by DuckRyder

If they have it now, it is current tech. They can never be ahead of current tech because when someone has it, it is current. Publicly, commonly or widely available is a different conversation...

Yup, this. Someone has to be the "early adopter" and pay for most of the R&D and tooling. Then the rest of us get the refined technology at a price that'll sell at walmart. Take apart a top loading VCR from 1980 then a plastic one from 2000 from Big Lots sold for $29. The tech is better but the component count is way down. The CIA in 1980 were buying VCRs.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

It's the usual exaggerating teacher trying to impress students. Let's say the CIA has access to some things that are aren't public. Here is a paranoid list of what they might have. 1. They have a tab on you and know what websites you visit. 2. Using facial recognition software, GPS on your smart phone, cameras, they pretty much know where you are at all times. 3. They can listen in to all your conversations. 4. They know of all your purchases. 5, They know your financial situation. 6. They can watch you from satellites any time they want. So now the question is: what do they have that we haven't even thought about? I suppose it may along the lines of AI. Or perhaps your Roomba is picking up skin samples off your floor and anayizing your DNA. I don't think they are 50 years ahead but perhaps we'll hear about what they are doing 5 or 10 years from now.

It might be easier to muse that they're capturing all this data but not analyzing it particularly well. They're hoping for better AI to get better data out of this, and are competing or collaborating with Facebook, google etc to be on the cutting edge. Data collected today, like your face at a political rally, could snare you in ten years when they connect the dots.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

It's the usual exaggerating teacher trying to impress students. Let's say the CIA has access to some things that are aren't public. Here is a paranoid list of what they might have. 1. They have a tab on you and know what websites you visit. 2. Using facial recognition software, GPS on your smart phone, cameras, they pretty much know where you are at all times. 3. They can listen in to all your conversations. 4. They know of all your purchases. 5, They know your financial situation. 6. They can watch you from satellites any time they want. So now the question is: what do they have that we haven't even thought about? I suppose it may along the lines of AI. Or perhaps your Roomba is picking up skin samples off your floor and anayizing your DNA. I don't think they are 50 years ahead but perhaps we'll hear about what they are doing 5 or 10 years from now.

If DNA samples were required to be sampled from everyone, people would have a fit, yet willingly give it to ancestory/geneology sites etc. Probably the best FBI/CIA front yet. YEA! They give us their DNA and they even PAY to give it to us !!!

 

[earlyre]

a 50 year jump would literally be like handing someone from the apollo program an Iphone X.

 

[Cujet]

I don't believe any of it. We still can't cure cancer and other diseases. It's technical prowess that does these things. Today's tech is self evident.

 

[Shannow]

Why would we want to cure cancer ? A MASSIVE part of the economy would collapse. Goldman Sachs give companies advice to concentrate on treatment, rather than cures, using a company that successfully treated Hep C as their example on what not to do.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by y_p_w

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk

50 years? Nope. I spent 20 years in Semi Mfg Equipment, which supplies the machines that process wafers into chips. For you scientists, the current tech node is 5nm. That means the smallest traces (wires) on the most dense layer of the chip, is 5 billionths of a meter. You may wanna Google 5nm 3D NAND memory... Anyways, using this science takes years to develop into a technology. The technology evolves constantly; R&D is costly. Companies (Intel, Samsung, etc) wanna get this stuff out to consumers. Now, the government does have super scientists (and programmers!) using available technology. At any cost... Beyond that, companies you know develop and sell to the government under confidentiality agreements.

They might be years ahead of other countries in terms of utilization of technology, but you're right that there's certainly no way their electronics manufacturing technology is somehow ahead of Intel, Samsung, or even TSMC. They don't really do anything other than buy commercial products and customize them. However, these days FPGA technology has made it possible to make high performance custom parts in small quantities and for specific purposes. It can be done in software, but not as efficiently as hardware. In my experience I remember hard coding an algorithm into hardware. It was a PITA to fix I made a mistake, but it as fast as a PC clocked 50+ times faster. I do remember interviewing for positions at defense/space contractors. It was odd to me how they were literally at least two generations behind in terms of semiconductor node tech. They apparently valued reliability and proven performance rather than having state of the art speed.

This. Its mixed and your assessment of semiconductor node tech is noted as often stuff is more robust and older once fielded. The differentiator in some communities is that there can sometimes be newer or next-gen tech that is acceptable to have lower lifetime or greater risk than the general public will accept or can afford.

 

[Snagglefoot]

The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long - and you have have burned so very, very brightly Roy. from Blade Runner.

 

[frankbee3]

The CIA, FBI and all the other alphabet soup government organizations would like for us to believe they are 50 years ahead in tech.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted by Shannow

Why would we want to cure cancer ? A MASSIVE part of the economy would collapse. Goldman Sachs give companies advice to concentrate on treatment, rather than cures, using a company that successfully treated Hep C as their example on what not to do.

It doesn't take a genius to see treating something for decades pays better than a one time deal.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted by Onetor

Several years ago, a friend who is a distinguished Professor told me that the Central Intelligence Agency's technology is fifty years ahead of current tech. What are your thoughts?

I would ask him to qualify that statement and ask, "In what technology areas?" Back in the '80's I worked for an aerospace company and we developed Integrated Circuits for NSA that was light years ahead in current technology and this type of technology was not available to the consumer market until 30 years later.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted by Oildudeny

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

It's the usual exaggerating teacher trying to impress students. Let's say the CIA has access to some things that are aren't public. Here is a paranoid list of what they might have. 1. They have a tab on you and know what websites you visit. 2. Using facial recognition software, GPS on your smart phone, cameras, they pretty much know where you are at all times. 3. They can listen in to all your conversations. 4. They know of all your purchases. 5, They know your financial situation. 6. They can watch you from satellites any time they want. So now the question is: what do they have that we haven't even thought about? I suppose it may along the lines of AI. Or perhaps your Roomba is picking up skin samples off your floor and anayizing your DNA. I don't think they are 50 years ahead but perhaps we'll hear about what they are doing 5 or 10 years from now.

They mind as well move into my home...they just won't be sliding into bed with my old lady. I have a 12 gauge riot shotgun they act up.

Yes just another reason they want your gun so you can't say no because they will still be armed!

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted by Onetor

I am def pro technology. The USA does not have the numbers for a protracted war. Only with technology are we superior for the time being. I have nothing to hide. Every key stroke and voice pattern is recorded and archived. However; one EMP can put us back in the stone age.

Or a hiccup in an oil industry...