intelligence gathering is a feature of any organised society. One has to know what the others around you are doing or thinking. It helps inform your plans for warfare, diplomacy, trade, and treaties. To KNOW, is a deep yearning for the human species; for we are fundamentally bound by Limited Knowledge.
intelligence agencies have grown with the size of the Society. Just witness with CIA in the US, or the KGB in the USSR. This is a NEED TO KNOW what the other side is doing.
The SpyCast is a monthly offering by the International Spy Museum, based in Washington DC. The Museum itself was founded in 2002, and houses 600 artifacts from the world of espionage, going all the way back to the Greek and Roman times. The podcast itself is a 20 minute offering, featuring a talk on a highly focussed subject – whether it be cyberthreats, the changing face of al-qaeda or u.s. navel intelligence in the second world war.
one has to keep an open mind re the information being presented (is it the whole story? is there an agenda being pushed? misinformation?) but the talks themselves are direct and well presented. This is well made podcast that could act as a template for other cultural institutions aiming to put themselves out there. A fine outreach effort.
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this show proves that you can make a podcast about almost anything. Is is basically a PR exercise on the part of the Department of Defence; opening it up to the public eye, showing that this is a transparent organisation for the new age. It features interviews with scientists and researchers associated with the military, and tries to give a laymen’s view of what they are attempting to do.
there is a hard edge to it; the information centers around science, so it’s not all spin. Some of the topics covered in the 39 shows so far include robotics, energy research, and finding new technological ways to support troops on the ground. The military and science is a broad interface, and offers a slather of topics to delve into. Interesting stuff to talk about is not an issue.
The presentation is fairly dry, despite the brassy intro theme. Shows are weekly, and clock in under the half hour mark; just the perfect length here. Enough time to get into depth, without turning into a lecture.
interesting insights here; all the more so for a glimpse into this military machine that has come to dominate so much of the globe.
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my biggest gripe with the show is that it is rehearsed. The questions have been given beforehand, and the interviewees are just reading out their answers. You can hear it!
