Mad Scientist

The U.S. Army's Mad Scientist Initiative is seeking to expand our understanding of the Operational Environment (OE).  To that end, we are conducting a short on-line survey -- please take about 5 minutes to complete our Global Perspectives Conference Survey by going to the Mad Scientist Laboratory blog site at: https://madsciblog.tradoc.army.mil/ and clicking on the survey link on the sidebar at the right hand side of the screen under HOT!!!

We will  brief back our interim findings at the Mad Scientist Global Perspectives in the Operational Environment Conference on 29 January 2020 (livestream this virtual event at: www.tradoc.army.mil/watch [note that this link is not live until the conference date]). Subscribe to the Mad Scientist Laboratory blog site and watch for our post in February describing all that we have gleaned from the survey regarding potential OE trends, challenges, technologies, and disruptors.

The Operational Environment in 2035: Mad Scientist Writing Contest

[Editor’s Note: Crowdsourcing is an effective tool for harvesting ideas, thoughts, and concepts from a wide variety of interested individuals, helping to diversify thought and challenge conventional assumptions. Mad Scientist is pleased to announce the first of our FY20 writing contests — Read on!]

The Army’s Mad Scientist Initiative wants to harness your diverse intellects to mine new knowledge and imagine the possibilities of the Operational Environment in 2035.

Deadline for submission is 1 March 2020.

GUIDELINES

• Nonfiction only.

• Submissions must be unclassified, unpublished, and cleared by your public affairs office and operations security managers (USG & as applicable).

• Maximum 2000 words/12 point font.

• Team or individual entries welcome.

TOPICS OF INTEREST

• What new skills and talent management techniques will be required by the Army in 2035?

• What does the information landscape look like in 2035? Infrastructure? Computing? Communication? Media?

• What can we anticipate in the Competition phase (below armed Conflict) and how do we prepare future Soldiers and Leaders for these challenges?

• What does strategic, operational, and tactical (relative) surprise look like in 2035?

• What does Multi-Domain Command and Control look like on the battlefield in 2035?

• How do we prepare for the second move in a future conflict?

• Which past battle or conflict best represents the challenges we face in the future and why?

• What technology or convergence of technologies could provide a U.S. advantage by 2050?

The author of the winning submission will be invited to present at a Mad Scientist event in 2020. Select semi-finalists will be published on the Mad Scientist Laboratory blog site or on one of our partner sites.

NOTE: NO Department of Defense affiliation is required for submission. This Community is open to EVERYONE.  Help shape the Army’s view of future Multi-Domain Operations and perspectives on the future OE.

Takeaways from the Mad Scientist Science Fiction Writing Contest 2019 - TRADOC Mad Scientist Project

At the conclusion of another successful Mad Scientist Science Fiction Writing Contest, we had received over 75 highly imaginative short stories. In addition to listing and linking you to the contest’s winning submission (as well as those of our finalists), today’s post reports back on the major cross-cutting themes we were able to distill from your collective creativity and provides effective writing tips from Dr. David Brin, our contest’s senior judge and multiple award-winning science fiction author. Enjoy!

Continue on for all the takeaways.