Brilliant Minds

A timely exploration of the life and work of world-changing thinkers - from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes - and how their ideas would solve the great economic problems we face today.

Series in which Dr James Fox tells the story of three cities in three exceptional years - cities whose artists and thinkers, writers and musicians set the world on a new course.

This compendium of military research projects aims to elicit a starry-eyed "gee whiz" from readers, and a few of the novelties showcased here-including ship-borne free electron lasers that zap incoming missiles, gamma ray bombs and mechanical "exoskeletons" that let soldiers shoulder huge loads-may achieve that goal. But many more will provoke a resounding "ho-hum," like the "cognitive software" that helps commanders answer their e-mail and do their scheduling, supply-tracking radio frequency identification tags that are old hat at your local Wal-Mart, and a scheme to set up military blogs. The truly appalled "Oh, God!" reactions will probably be to the "First Strike Rations" under development by the Army's Combat Feeding Directorate, which feature "energy booster gel" squeezed from tubes. There's little here to fire the martial imagination. To judge by the plethora of proposals for small reconnaissance robots and drones, tiny sensors and omniscient computer networks, the army of the future will be increasingly miniature, bloodless and unmanned-a prospect that could only excite a techie.