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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

A real-life Babel fish that translates any language, exaflop-speed computers, and whisper-quiet drones: They're just some of the dozens of out-there future projects [popularmechanics.com] under way thanks to funding from Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). It's not quite Q's secret lab for 007 gadgets, but IARPA is as close as you'll get in the U.S. intelligence world.

Founded in 2006, IARPA was modeled after the hugely successful advanced R&D arm of the Pentagon, DARPA. And like DARPA, IARPA works on the stuff that's too far out or crazy for others to touch. Incoming IARPA director Jason Matheny, who took office in August, pulled back the curtain on his department—somewhat—in an interview with PM, outlining the organization's projects, the quest for intel on the next big threats, and how IARPA recruits new program managers.
...
Biohacking is a big worry for IARPA, too. Matheny sees genetically engineered organisms as a major problem that bridges the technological and natural worlds. "Synthetic biology offers a number of great societal benefits, but it also does present some risks," he says. "not just from deliberate misuse, but also from accidents." In other words, when the zombie apocalypse hits, there's a good chance IARPA researchers will spot it first.

The full list of projects IARPA funds is here [iarpa.gov].

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