The US Military Gets All Touchy-Feely: DARPA Hosts Storytelling Workshops - Polidicks

Just further proof that DARPA is the greatest military organization ever: [quote=Wired.com]Storytelling has always been an art, but do we know anything about its science? Darpa is going out on a limb to explore that very question later this week, in a workshop snappily entitled “Neurobiology of Narratives.” This project is actually the latest in a series of studies on the neuroscientific implications of human narratives, which began in February this year. (A final workshop, on “influence-related modeling/simulation/sensor tools,” will happen later.) Darpa says a discussion of narrative psychology will lead to a “better understanding of the thoughts and feelings of others.” But another reason the Pentagon would want to spend time upping its sensitivity quotient is because of an ongoing effort on its part to understand the “human terrain” of the battlefields in which they fight. The Army is investing hundreds of millions in building a teams of “cultural counselors” to get into the minds of the locals in Iraq and Afghanistan. The idea is that the better you understand the population, the easier it is to sway them to your side — and win the war. A little paragraph tucked away at the end of the Darpa project description illuminates this. “This workshop will [connect] our understanding of the neurobiology of narratives with models…salient to security concerns,” it reads. Translation: How are people incited into political violence and wars? How can security threats be understood and prevented by better comprehending a local culture? In order to conduct this investigation scientifically, the workshop has five interconnected goals. One involves assessing the impact of narrative on learning and identity. This part of the workshop would discuss how convincing narratives impact identity-related judgments, such as recognizing and trusting the storyteller as part of your cultural or “in” group. Another involves examining how narratives influence “moral neurobiology.” This implies that the group will consider how a narrative can evoke guilt and innocence, and also how a listener decides whether an action is moral or not, based on the narrative their brain is processing. A third is the intertwining of the biology of narratives and emotions. This will discuss, in terms of our neuron signals, how listening to a narrative can impact the biology of emotions like empathy, sympathy or outrage and disgust, leading to impulsive reactions. All this may sound fluffy but there have actually been a number of scientific studies assessing the relationship between the seemingly disparate but deeply related issues of memory, judgment, identity, narrative and neuroscience. Darpa’s workshop is trying to weave these elements together within the context of their work: security matters. Whoever said stories were for kids?[/quote] [url=http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/04/darpa-explores-the-science-of-storytelling/][source][/url] So, is there anything at all the military isn't interested in? I know this makes perfect sense because the current threat uses indoctrination, which we are countering with our own propaganda, but still this is so odd and incredible at the same time.

As it has been said many times; what [B]doesn't[/B] DARPA do?

[QUOTE=kaze4159;29166035]As it has been said many times; what [B]doesn't[/B] DARPA do?[/QUOTE] Be shit, I suppose.

Gather around children, story time! Don't forget to put on your magnetoencephalography hats.

DARPA: Mad Scientists of the 21st Century. :v:

[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;29167631]DARPA: Mad Scientists of the 21st Century. :v:[/QUOTE] *With really nice funding.

Translation: How are people incited into political violence and wars? How can security threats be understood and prevented by better comprehending a local culture? Translation translation: How can we recognize the signs of a riot or food riot because of our fucked up political policies? How can we better beat people down when this inevitably happens?

[QUOTE=Strongbad;29167811]Translation: How are people incited into political violence and wars? How can security threats be understood and prevented by better comprehending a local culture? Translation translation: How can we recognize the signs of a riot or food riot because of our fucked up political policies? How can we better beat people down when this inevitably happens?[/QUOTE] NO! Not the truth about my precious DARPA!

[QUOTE=bord2tears;29167798]*With really nice funding.[/QUOTE] I'd say not nearly enough with how much awesome shit they push out.

[QUOTE=Visorak06;29171426]I'd say not nearly enough with how much awesome shit they push out.[/QUOTE] All though this seems pretty impratical(with references such as NASA) when you limit people to a smaller budget they generally act more economically sane, and tend too make designs which [b] work [/b]. DARPA is not acception to fuck ups, but putting their cash in one ground area which can have a possibility of fucking up really badly, can, and will most likely damage their budget.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;29171620]All though this seems pretty impratical(with references such as NASA) when you limit people to a smaller budget they generally act more economically sane, and tend too make designs which [b] work [/b]. DARPA is not acception to fuck ups, but putting their cash in one ground area which can have a possibility of fucking up really badly, can, and will most likely damage their budget.[/QUOTE] You are making awful, misinformed posts in every thread I view. Stop.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;29171620]All though this seems pretty impratical(with references such as NASA) when you limit people to a smaller budget they generally act more economically sane, and tend too make designs which [b] work [/b]. DARPA is not acception to fuck ups, but putting their cash in one ground area which can have a possibility of fucking up really badly, can, and will most likely damage their budget.[/QUOTE] The reason DARPA is so innovative is [I]because of[/I] the fact that they have ventured into such risky investments. Yes they've had a lot of fuck-ups, but just the potential that just some of those ideas can work and that educated and intelligent people are behind them should be enough motivation at the very least explore the possibility. And a lot of DARPAs funding goes into boring, safe shit too.

[QUOTE=kaze4159;29166035]As it has been said many times; what [B]doesn't[/B] DARPA do?[/QUOTE] Get enough of the massive defense budget. [editline]14th April 2011[/editline] DARPA's model is "Do it, do it, do it. Fuck it broke. Do it again, do it again, do it again. Fuck, it broke more. Keep doing it, Keep doing it, Keep doing it. FUCK... YEAH! IT WORKS BETTER THAN EXPECTED!"