Picking Winners
Emerging Technologies for Countering Terrorism

Dr. Gerard Gilfoyle
Department of Physics
University of Richmond

Our scientific community has been called to develop new technologies that will make America safer in the war on terrorism. To succeed in this war we must make efficient use of limited financial, technological, and societal resources. We focus here first on identifying and evaluating the threat.  How feasible is it for a terrorist to acquire a particular weapon and attack US interests? Second we consider some specific technological advances for gathering information about terrorists before an attack occurs and for detecting a biological assault. We consider how well they meet the technical challenge, but also discuss other forces that may help or hinder their deployment. Finally, we consider the need for an educated populace as an important tool in the fight.