"Science Fiction in the National Interest?" Wha?

I honestly don't know what to make of this.

But I like the way they self-select: to join the Sigma group and sit at the table with Jerry Pournelle, Arlan Andrews, Greg Bear, Larry Niven, and Sage Walker, you must have "at least one technical doctorate degree". I'd be interested to know about the educational demographics of the wider community of "science-fiction writers", and also what the Sigma group considers a "techical" degree.

I also like the closing paragraphs:

Why offer their ideas to the government instead of private companies that pay big bucks?

"To save civilization," Ringworld author Larry Niven says...

Uhuh. Because "civilization" maps so neatly and completely onto "the national interest", doesn't it, Larry?

I suspect the real reason is that (despite the quote's implication to the contrary) the number of private companies that will "pay big bucks" for this kind of fuzzy think tank probably affords less chance of getting a meal ticket than with the department of Homeland Security. For some reason, I'm reminded of the stories I heard 20 years ago about all the money that the American military was spending on parapsychology consultants.

"Science Fiction in the National Interest?" Wha?

I honestly don't know what to make of this.

But I like the way they self-select: to join the Sigma group and sit at the table with Jerry Pournelle, Arlan Andrews, Greg Bear, Larry Niven, and Sage Walker, you must have "at least one technical doctorate degree". I'd be interested to know about the educational demographics of the wider community of "science-fiction writers", and also what the Sigma group considers a "techical" degree.

I also like the closing paragraphs:

Why offer their ideas to the government instead of private companies that pay big bucks?

"To save civilization," Ringworld author Larry Niven says...

Uhuh. Because "civilization" maps so neatly and completely onto "the national interest", doesn't it, Larry?

I suspect the real reason is that (despite the quote's implication to the contrary) the number of private companies that will "pay big bucks" for this kind of fuzzy think tank probably affords less chance of getting a meal ticket than with the department of Homeland Security. For some reason, I'm reminded of the stories I heard 20 years ago about all the money that the American military was spending on parapsychology consultants.