The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
In January 2021, President-elect Biden’s administration and the new Congress will immediately confront a host of issues that require scientific and technical expertise, like the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, social media misinformation, and more. Now, more than ever, it is critical that policy is created and shaped by scientists and technologists with subject matter expertise.
How should the Biden administration approach staffing up federal agencies? What can Congress do to encourage scientists and technologists to work on Capitol Hill?
Join the Technology and Public Purpose Project and the Tech Talent Project on Thursday, November 19th from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET for a virtual discussion on staffing up President-elect Biden’s administration and the new Congress.
Speakers include:
- Ash Carter, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
- Cassandra Madison, Acting Executive Director, Tech Talent Project
- Laura Manley, Director, Technology and Public Purpose Project
- Ali Nouri, President, Federation of American Scientists
- John Bailey, Visiting Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Mike Miesen, Research Assistant, Technology and Public Purpose Project