This is the best sci-fi related news I've read all day! Sci-fi Writers Pournelle and Niven have more imagination and brainpower in their fingernails than the Department of Defense!

Pournelle especially. The man's resume' and collaborations are a "who's who" of modern strategic warfare. Google "Project Thor" or "A Step Farther Out" to see an example of how these people think about real-world problems. Or just go to Pournelle's web blog (started in 1999) and you'll see that asking people like these their opinions is a step in the right direction. http://www.jerrypournelle.com/:

Oh, and they also happen to be excellent writers. Gotta pay the bills...

USA Today has reported in "Sci-fi writersjoin war on terror" that a small group of science fiction writers have been contacted by the U.S. government to advise on new and innovative ways that security could be improved. The group, called Sigma, was formed about 15 years ago by writer Arlan Andrews and was specifically intended to advise the government on advanced technology issues.

Their motto seems ominous in context of recent-history political trends and frighteningly nationalistic: "Science Fiction in the National Interest". I think their involvement is a bit horrifying, misguided, and more than a bit egotistically self-grandiose. Read on for more details.

Six writers - nicknamed the "Sigma Six", after "Six Sigma" (a set of practices for reducing defects through process improvements - see related Dilbert cartoon), met with the Homeland Security group with members of the government's High Impact Technology Solutions ("HITS") program leaders to speculate on innovative ways that technology could improve the government's ability to monitor individuals, identify and assess threats. The six writers involved were Greg Bear, Sage Walker, and Arlan Andrews, Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven, and Yoji Kondo "Eric Kotani" (USA Today apparently failed to mention Kondo's involvement).

And if this doesn't work, they're going to try using romance novel writers to battle terrorism!