IEEE Spectrum May, 2008 - 2

back story

Her First
DARPATech

citing articles in ieee sPectrum
IEEE Spectrum publishes two editions. in the international edition, the abbreviation int appears at the
foot of each page. the north american edition is identified with the letters na. Both have the same
editorial content, but because of differences in advertising, page numbers may differ. in citations,
you should include the issue designation. For example, the first update page is in IEEE Spectrum,
vol. 45, no. 5 (int), May 2008, p. 7, or in IEEE Spectrum, vol. 45, no. 5 (na), May 2008, p. 11.

na * ieee sPectrum * may 2008

editorial
Editor

Susan Hassler, s.hassler@ieee.org

ExEcutivE Editor

Glenn Zorpette, g.zorpette@ieee.org

ManaGinG Editor

Elizabeth a. Bretz, e.bretz@ieee.org

Harry Goldstein (online), h.goldstein@ieee.org;
Jean Kumagai, j.kumagai@ieee.org; Samuel K. Moore (news),
s.k.moore@ieee.org; tekla S. Perry, t.perry@ieee.org;
Philip E. ross (resources), p.ross@ieee.org;
William Sweet, w.sweet@ieee.org
SEnior EditorS

SEnior aSSociatE Editor

Steven cherry, s.cherry@ieee.org

Erico Guizzo, e.guizzo@ieee.org;
Joshua J. romero (online), j.j.romero@ieee.org;
Sandra upson, s.upson@ieee.org
aSSociatE EditorS

aSSiStant Editor

Willie d. Jones, w.jones@ieee.org

SEnior coPy Editor
coPy Editor

Joseph n. Levine, j.levine@ieee.org

Michele Kogon, m.kogon@ieee.org

EditoriaL rESEarcHEr

alan Gardner, a.gardner@ieee.org

ramona Gordon, r.gordon@ieee.org;
nancy t. Hantman, n.hantman@ieee.org
adMiniStrativE aSSiStantS

iEEE SPEctruM JournaLiSM intErn
intErn

Sally adee, s.adee@ieee.org

Francesco Ferorelli, f.ferorelli@ieee.org

contriButinG EditorS John Blau, robert n. charette,
Peter Fairley, alexander Hellemans, david Kushner,
robert W. Lucky, Paul McFedries, Kieron B. Murphy,
carl Selinger, Seema Singh, John voelcker

art & Production
SEnior art dirEctor

Mark Montgomery

aSSiStant art dirEctorS
PHoto Editor

Laura H. azran, Brandon Palacio

randi Silberman

dirEctor, PEriodicaLS Production SErvicES
EditoriaL & WEB Production ManaGEr
SEnior ELEctronic Layout SPEciaLiSt
WEB Production coordinator
WEB Production SPEciaLiSt

Peter tuohy

roy carubia
Bonnie nani

Jacqueline L. Parker

Michael Spector

editorial advisory Board
Susan Hassler, Chair; Marc t. apter, Francine d. Berman, Jan
Brown, raffaello d'andrea, Stephen L. diamond, Hiromichi
Fujisawa, Kenneth y. Goldberg, Susan Hackwood, Erik Heijne,
charles H. House, david H. Jacobson, christopher J. James,
ronald G. Jensen, Mary y. Lanzerotti, ruby B. Lee, tak Ming
Mak, david a. Mindell, c. Mohan, Fritz Morgan, andrew M.
odlyzko, Leslie d. owens, Barry L. Shoop, Larry L. Smarr,
Harry L. "nick" tredennick iii, William Weihl, Bas
¸ak yüksel

editorial corresPondence
iEEE Spectrum, 3 Park ave., 17th Floor, new york, ny 10016-5997
attn: Editorial dept. tel: +1 212 419 7555 Fax: +1 212 419 7570
Bureau: Palo alto, calif.; tekla S. Perry +1 650 328 7570
responsibility for the substance of articles rests upon the
authors, not the iEEE or its members. articles published do not
represent official positions of the iEEE. Letters to the editor may
be excerpted for publication.

advertising corresPondence
iEEE Spectrum, 3 Park ave., 17th Floor, new york, ny 10016-5997
attn: advertising dept. +1 212 419 7760
the publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising.

rePrint Permission
LiBrariES: articles may be photocopied for private use
of patrons. a per-copy fee must be paid to the copyright
clearance center, 29 congress St., Salem, Ma 01970.
For other copying or republication, contact Business Manager,
IEEE Spectrum.
coPyriGHtS and tradEMarKS: IEEE

Spectrum is a registered
trademark owned by the institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers inc. careers, EEs' tools & toys, Ev Watch, Progress,
reflections, Spectral Lines, and technically Speaking are
trademarks of the iEEE.
www.spectrum.ieee.org

Jean Kumagai

white. The 2007 conference kicked
off DARPA's 50th anniversary, and
speakers were introduced with
flashing lights and pounding rock
music. Some of the music choices
were puzzling-one program director jogged to the podium accompanied by a song that began "It's no
surprise to me; I am my own worst
enemy." The secretary of the Navy
was introduced to the chords of the
Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun."
Adee spent a lot of time hoarding
swag-jealously guarding her
stash of pixelated-camouflage
T-shirts, light-up pens, temporary
tattoos, and commemorative
DARPA playing cards-and
feeling a bit like Hester Prynne,
wearing the scarlet badge that
distinguished journalists from
ally Adee had barely taken
off her coat after arriving for
the defense contractors, who wore
her first day of work at IEEE
baby blue and duckling yellow tags.
Spectrum last June when she began "I gained some insight into what it
pleading to attend DARPATech,
felt like to be a leper in the 1890s,"
the Defense Advanced Research
she recalls, describing scientists
Projects Agency's convention. Her and contractors halting converrequest was a little odd-most
sations midsentence and turning
writers find obscure conferences
away whenever she approached,
they absolutely must attend in
dense crowds parting in her path.
Honolulu, Paris, Tokyo, or maybe
"Or maybe I'm thinking of Moses."
Vegas. Adee, a self-described
Inside the exhibit hall, the few
defense nerd, really wanted to
reporters on-site could examine
go to DARPATech-but never
the latest and greatest bionic-arm
prosthetics, watch robo-geckos
dreamed we'd actually send her.
climbing up vertical glass panes,
We did. Two months later she
found herself at the Anaheim
and cheer on an autonomous
learning robot called Little Dog that
Marriott in California, across the
street from Disneyland, whose
hobbled over treacherous rubble.
attractions compared poorly with
Sure, there were a few disapthe festivities at DARPATech as far
pointments, like the 3-D glasses
as Adee was concerned. Among the
Adee is shown modeling above.
3000 defense contractors, academics, When she tried them on, she was
disheartened to find herself gazing
researchers, and DARPA program
managers wandering the enormous
at a PowerPoint presentation.
hotel, Adee felt like she was at a
But even the best exhibits paled
whole different level of theme park.
in comparison with the gossip
Instead of cotton candy, attendees
floating around the conference.
carried Starbucks cups and
One especially juicy item led to
DARPATech M&Ms tinted green,
Adee's story in this month's issue,
yellow, and a sickly, translucent
"The Hunt for the Kill Switch." o

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum May, 2008