American Biodefense

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American Biodefense

Author : Frank L. Smith III
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 0801455154
Total Pages : 205 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis American Biodefense by : Frank L. Smith III

Download or read book American Biodefense written by Frank L. Smith III and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2014-09-19 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological weapons have threatened U.S. national security since at least World War II. Historically, however, the U.S. military has neglected research, development, acquisition, and doctrine for biodefense. Following September 11 and the anthrax letters of 2001, the United States started spending billions of dollars per year on medical countermeasures and biological detection systems. But most of this funding now comes from the Department of Health and Human Services rather than the Department of Defense. Why has the U.S. military neglected biodefense and allowed civilian organizations to take the lead in defending the country against biological attacks? In American Biodefense, Frank L. Smith III addresses this puzzling and largely untold story about science, technology, and national security.Smith argues that organizational frames and stereotypes have caused both military neglect and the rise of civilian biodefense. In the armed services, influential ideas about kinetic warfare have undermined defense against biological warfare. The influence of these ideas on science and technology challenges the conventional wisdom that national security policy is driven by threats or bureaucratic interests. Given the ideas at work inside the U.S. military, Smith explains how the lessons learned from biodefense can help solve other important problems that range from radiation weapons to cyber attacks.

Breeding Bio Insecurity

Author : Lynn C. Klotz
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 0226444074
Total Pages : 269 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (264 download)

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Book Synopsis Breeding Bio Insecurity by : Lynn C. Klotz

Download or read book Breeding Bio Insecurity written by Lynn C. Klotz and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-10-15 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the years since the 9/11 attacks—and the subsequent lethal anthrax letters—the United States has spent billions of dollars on measures to defend the population against the threat of biological weapons. But as Lynn C. Klotz and Edward J. Sylvester argue forcefully in Breeding Bio Insecurity, all that money and effort hasn’t made us any safer—in fact, it has made us more vulnerable. Breeding Bio Insecurity reveals the mistakes made to this point and lays out the necessary steps to set us on the path toward true biosecurity. The fundamental problem with the current approach, according to the authors, is the danger caused by the sheer size and secrecy of our biodefense effort. Thousands of scientists spread throughout hundreds of locations are now working with lethal bioweapons agents—but their inability to make their work public causes suspicion among our enemies and allies alike, even as the enormous number of laboratories greatly multiplies the inherent risk of deadly accidents or theft. Meanwhile, vital public health needs go unmet because of this new biodefense focus. True biosecurity, the authors argue, will require a multipronged effort based in an understanding of the complexity of the issue, guided by scientific ethics, and watched over by a vigilant citizenry attentive to the difference between fear mongering and true analysis of risk. An impassioned warning that never loses sight of political and scientific reality, Breeding Bio Insecurity is a crucial first step toward meeting the evolving threats of the twenty-first century.

Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309465184
Total Pages : 189 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-01-05 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientific advances over the past several decades have accelerated the ability to engineer existing organisms and to potentially create novel ones not found in nature. Synthetic biology, which collectively refers to concepts, approaches, and tools that enable the modification or creation of biological organisms, is being pursued overwhelmingly for beneficial purposes ranging from reducing the burden of disease to improving agricultural yields to remediating pollution. Although the contributions synthetic biology can make in these and other areas hold great promise, it is also possible to imagine malicious uses that could threaten U.S. citizens and military personnel. Making informed decisions about how to address such concerns requires a realistic assessment of the capabilities that could be misused. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology explores and envisions potential misuses of synthetic biology. This report develops a framework to guide an assessment of the security concerns related to advances in synthetic biology, assesses the levels of concern warranted for such advances, and identifies options that could help mitigate those concerns.

Giving Full Measure to Countermeasures

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309166519
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Giving Full Measure to Countermeasures by : National Research Council

Download or read book Giving Full Measure to Countermeasures written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-04-06 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, substantial efforts have been initiated to develop new drugs, vaccines, and other medical interventions against biological agents that could be used in bioterrorist attacks against civilian populations. According to a new congressionally mandated report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies, to successfully develop these drugs, vaccines, and other medical interventions against biowarfare agents, Congress should authorize the creation of a new agency within the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense. The committee recommended that Congress should improve liability protections for those who develop and manufacture these products, to stimulate willingness to invest in new research and development for biowarfare protection. Giving Full Measure to Countermeasures also identifies other challengesâ€"such as the need for appropriate animal models and laboratories equipped with high-level biosafety protectionsâ€"that will require attention if DoD efforts to develop new medical countermeasures are to be successful.

Bio-Imperialism

Author : Gwen Shuni D'Arcangelis
Publisher : Rutgers University Press
ISBN 13 : 1978815166
Total Pages : 117 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (788 download)

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Book Synopsis Bio-Imperialism by : Gwen Shuni D'Arcangelis

Download or read book Bio-Imperialism written by Gwen Shuni D'Arcangelis and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-18 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bio-Imperialism focuses on an understudied dimension of the war on terror: the fight against bioterrorism. This component of the war enlisted the biosciences and public health fields to build up the U.S. biodefense industry and U.S. global disease control. The book argues that U.S. imperial ambitions drove these shifts in focus, aided by gendered and racialized discourses on terrorism, disease, and science. These narratives helped rationalize American research expansion into dangerous germs and bioweapons in the name of biodefense and bolstered the U.S. rationale for increased interference in the disease control decisions of Global South nations. Bio-Imperialism is a sobering look at how the war on terror impacted the world in ways that we are only just starting to grapple with.

Biosecurity in the Global Age

Author : David Fidler
Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0804750297
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (47 download)

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Book Synopsis Biosecurity in the Global Age by : David Fidler

Download or read book Biosecurity in the Global Age written by David Fidler and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The renewed threat of biological weapons highlights the importance of crafting policy responses informed by the rule of law. This book explores patterns in recent governance initiatives and advocates building a "global biosecurity concert" as a way to address the threats presented by biological weapons and infectious diseases in the early 21st century."--BOOK JACKET.

Germs

Author : Judith Miller
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439128154
Total Pages : 420 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

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Book Synopsis Germs by : Judith Miller

Download or read book Germs written by Judith Miller and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this “engrossing, well-documented, and highly readable” (San Francisco Chronicle) New York Times bestseller, three veteran reporters draw on top sources inside and outside the U.S. government to reveal Washington's secret strategies for combating germ warfare and the deadly threat of biological and chemical weapons. Today Americans have begun to grapple with two difficult truths: that there is no terrorist threat more horrifying—and less understood—than germ warfare, and that it would take very little to mount a devastating attack on American soil. Featuring an inside look at how germ warfare has been waged throughout history and what form its future might take (and in whose hands), Germs reads like a gripping detective story told by fascinating key figures: American and Soviet medical specialists who once made germ weapons but now fight their spread, FBI agents who track Islamic radicals, the Iraqis who built Saddam Hussein's secret arsenal, spies who travel the world collecting lethal microbes, and scientists who see ominous developments on the horizon. With clear scientific explanations and harrowing insights, Germs is a vivid, masterfully written—and timely—work of investigative journalism.

Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309174783
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests by : National Research Council

Download or read book Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1997-05-30 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Army conducted atmospheric dispersion tests in many American cities using fluorescent particles of zinc cadmium sulfide (ZnCdS) to develop and verify meteorological models to estimate the dispersal of aerosols. Upon learning of the tests, many citizens and some public health officials in the affected cities raised concerns about the health consequences of the tests. This book assesses the public health effects of the Army's tests, including the toxicity of ZnCdS, the toxicity of surrogate cadmium compounds, the environmental fate of ZnCdS, the extent of public exposures from the dispersion tests, and the risks of such exposures.

Living Weapons

Author : Gregory D. Koblentz
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 0801457661
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis Living Weapons by : Gregory D. Koblentz

Download or read book Living Weapons written by Gregory D. Koblentz and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-16 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Biological weapons are widely feared, yet rarely used. Biological weapons were the first weapon prohibited by an international treaty, yet the proliferation of these weapons increased after they were banned in 1972. Biological weapons are frequently called 'the poor man's atomic bomb,' yet they cannot provide the same deterrent capability as nuclear weapons. One of my goals in this book is to explain the underlying principles of these apparent paradoxes."—from Living Weapons Biological weapons are the least well understood of the so-called weapons of mass destruction. Unlike nuclear and chemical weapons, biological weapons are composed of, or derived from, living organisms. In Living Weapons, Gregory D. Koblentz provides a comprehensive analysis of the unique challenges that biological weapons pose for international security. At a time when the United States enjoys overwhelming conventional military superiority, biological weapons have emerged as an attractive means for less powerful states and terrorist groups to wage asymmetric warfare. Koblentz also warns that advances in the life sciences have the potential to heighten the lethality and variety of biological weapons. The considerable overlap between the equipment, materials and knowledge required to develop biological weapons, conduct civilian biomedical research, and develop biological defenses creates a multiuse dilemma that limits the effectiveness of verification, hinders civilian oversight, and complicates threat assessments. Living Weapons draws on the American, Soviet, Russian, South African, and Iraqi biological weapons programs to enhance our understanding of the special challenges posed by these weapons for arms control, deterrence, civilian-military relations, and intelligence. Koblentz also examines the aspirations of terrorist groups to develop these weapons and the obstacles they have faced. Biological weapons, Koblentz argues, will continue to threaten international security until defenses against such weapons are improved, governments can reliably detect biological weapon activities, the proliferation of materials and expertise is limited, and international norms against the possession and use of biological weapons are strengthened.

Science and Security in a Post 9/11 World

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309111919
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Science and Security in a Post 9/11 World by : National Research Council

Download or read book Science and Security in a Post 9/11 World written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-11-10 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a series of regional meetings on university campuses with officials from the national security community and academic research institutions, this report identifies specific actions that should be taken to maintain a thriving scientific research environment in an era of heightened security concerns. Actions include maintaining the open exchange of scientific information, fostering a productive environment for international scholars in the U.S., reexamining federal definitions of sensitive but unclassified research, and reviewing policies on deemed export controls. The federal government should establish a standing entity, preferably a Science and Security Commission, that would review policies regarding the exchange of information and the participation of foreign-born scientists and students in research.

Bioinsecurity and Vulnerability

Author : Nancy N. Chen
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781938645426
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (454 download)

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Book Synopsis Bioinsecurity and Vulnerability by : Nancy N. Chen

Download or read book Bioinsecurity and Vulnerability written by Nancy N. Chen and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life today is rife with rapid-fire "high alert" responses, a proliferating trend that is especially pronounced in the United States (though most certainly felt elsewhere as well), where past catastrophes shape expanding perceptions of imminent danger. September 11, 2001 looms as an inescapable spectral presence, defining an important baseline for the ramping up of biosecurity measures. However, the contributors to this volume argue against biosecurity as the new status quo by focusing instead on the ugly underbelly. Through considering the vulnerability of individuals and groups and particularly looking at how vulnerability propagates in the shadow of biosecurity, BioInsecurity and Vulnerability challenges the acceptance of surveillance measures or security interventions as necessities of life in the new millennium.

Long Shot

Author : Kendall Hoyt
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780674061583
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (615 download)

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Book Synopsis Long Shot by : Kendall Hoyt

Download or read book Long Shot written by Kendall Hoyt and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-02-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the turn of the twenty-first century, the United States contended with a state-run biological warfare program, bioterrorism, and a pandemic. Together, these threats spurred large-scale government demand for new vaccines, but few have materialized. A new anthrax vaccine has been a priority since the first Gulf War, but twenty years and a billion dollars later, the United States still does not have one. This failure is startling. Historically, the United States has excelled at responding to national health emergencies. World War II era programs developed ten new or improved vaccines, often in time to meet the objectives of particular military missions. Probing the history of vaccine development for factors that foster timely innovation, Kendall Hoyt discovered that vaccine innovation has been falling, not rising, since World War II. This finding is at odds with prevailing theories of market-based innovation and suggests that a collection of nonmarket factors drove mid-century innovation. Ironically, many late-twentieth-century developments that have been celebrated as a boon for innovation—the birth of a biotechnology industry and the rise of specialization and outsourcing—undercut the collaborative networks and research practices that drove successful vaccine projects in the past. Hoyt’s timely investigation teaches important lessons for our efforts to rebuild twenty-first-century biodefense capabilities, especially when the financial payback for a particular vaccine is low, but the social returns are high.

Biological Weapons

Author : Jeanne Guillemin
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231509170
Total Pages : 435 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)

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Book Synopsis Biological Weapons by : Jeanne Guillemin

Download or read book Biological Weapons written by Jeanne Guillemin and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2004-12-14 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Until the events of September 11 and the anthrax attacks of 2001, biological weapons had never been a major public concern in the United States. Today, the possibility of their use by terrorists against Western states looms large as an international security concern. In Biological Weapons, Jeanne Guillemin provides a highly accessible and compelling account of the circumstances under which scientists, soldiers, and statesmen were able to mobilize resources for extensive biological weapons programs and also analyzes why such weapons, targeted against civilians, were never used in a major conflict. This book is essential for understanding the relevance of the historical restraints placed on the use of biological weapons for today's world. It serves as an excellent introduction to the problems biological weapons pose for contemporary policymakers and public officials, particularly in the United States. How can we best deter the use of such weapons? What are the resulting policies of the Department of Homeland Security? How can we constrain proliferation? Jeanne Guillemin wisely points out that these are vitally important questions for all Americans to consider and investigate—all the more so because the development of these weapons has been carried out under a veil of secrecy, with their frightening potential open to exploitation by the media and government. Public awareness through education can help calm fears in today's tension-filled climate and promote constructive political action to reduce the risks of a biological weapons catastrophe. Biological Weapons is required reading for every concerned citizen, government policymaker, public health official, and national security analyst who wants to understand this complex and timely issue.

Barriers to Bioweapons

Author : Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 0801471923
Total Pages : 237 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis Barriers to Bioweapons by : Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley

Download or read book Barriers to Bioweapons written by Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2014-12-15 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In both the popular imagination and among lawmakers and national security experts, there exists the belief that with sufficient motivation and material resources, states or terrorist groups can produce bioweapons easily, cheaply, and successfully. In Barriers to Bioweapons, Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley challenges this perception by showing that bioweapons development is a difficult, protracted, and expensive endeavor, rarely achieving the expected results whatever the magnitude of investment. Her findings are based on extensive interviews she conducted with former U.S. and Soviet-era bioweapons scientists and on careful analysis of archival data and other historical documents related to various state and terrorist bioweapons programs.Bioweapons development relies on living organisms that are sensitive to their environment and handling conditions, and therefore behave unpredictably. These features place a greater premium on specialized knowledge. Ben Ouagrham-Gormley posits that lack of access to such intellectual capital constitutes the greatest barrier to the making of bioweapons. She integrates theories drawn from economics, the sociology of science, organization, and management with her empirical research. The resulting theoretical framework rests on the idea that the pace and success of a bioweapons development program can be measured by its ability to ensure the creation and transfer of scientific and technical knowledge. The specific organizational, managerial, social, political, and economic conditions necessary for success are difficult to achieve, particularly in covert programs where the need to prevent detection imposes managerial and organizational conditions that conflict with knowledge production.

Innovation, Dual Use, and Security

Author : Jonathan B. Tucker
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262017172
Total Pages : 367 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Innovation, Dual Use, and Security by : Jonathan B. Tucker

Download or read book Innovation, Dual Use, and Security written by Jonathan B. Tucker and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent advances in disciplines such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and neuropharmacology entail a "dual-use dilemma" because they promise benefits for human health and welfare yet pose the risk of misuse for hostile purposes. The emerging field of synthetic genomics, for example, can produce custom DNA molecules for life-saving drugs but also makes possible the creation of deadly viral agents for biological warfare or terrorism. The challenge for policymakers is to prevent the misuse of these new technologies without forgoing their benefits . Innovation, Dual Use, and Security offers a systematic approach for managing the dual-use dilemma. The book presents a "decision framework" for assessing the security risks of emerging technologies and fashioning governance strategies to manage those risks. This framework is applied to fourteen contemporary case studies, including synthetic genomics, DNA shuffling and directed evolution, combinatorial chemistry, protein engineering, immunological modulation, and aerosol vaccines. The book also draws useful lessons from two historical cases: the development of the V-series nerve agents in Britain and the use and misuse of LSD by the U.S. Army and the CIA. Innovation, Dual Use, and Security offers a comprehensive, multifaceted introduction to the challenges of governing dual-use technologies in an era of rapid innovation. The book will be of interest to government officials and other practitioners as well as to students and scholars in security studies, science and technology studies, biology, and chemistry.

Defending Against Biothreats

Author : Ken Alibek
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (643 download)

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Book Synopsis Defending Against Biothreats by : Ken Alibek

Download or read book Defending Against Biothreats written by Ken Alibek and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Natural and man-made biothreats to our nation will continue to plague us. In this timely Center for Security Policy volume, 11 experts look at the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and beyond to provide an in-depth analysis of this threat and assess what the U.S. government must do to defend the American people.National Review's Jim Geraghty, China expert Gordon Chang, and national security expert Claudia Rosett lead off with sobering looks at the spread of the coronavirus, the Chinese government's criminal negligence that caused it to become a pandemic and how the World Health Organization's collaboration with Beijing covered up the danger and denied the world crucial time that could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Rosemary Gibson contributed a related chapter on why the pandemic should lead U.S. officials to end America's dependency on China for essential medical supplies and drugs.Most of Defending Against Biothreats discusses the growing danger from man-made and natural biothreats and how to defend against them. This includes chapters from former Soviet biological weapons scientist Dr. Ken Alibek, Albina Tskhay, Shoshana Bryen, and Stephen Bryen. Former CIA operations officer Charles Faddis discusses the lessons terrorists will draw from the 2020 pandemic. Former national security officials Paula DeSutter, Stephen Elliott and John Lauder discuss U.S. and international policies to defend against biothreats and why much more needs to be done.A must-read for anyone looking to understand the lessons from the 2020 coronavirus pandemic that our leaders must act on to defend against a dire security threat that could kill millions or billions, and possibly wipe out the human race.

Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?

Author : Kathleen M. Vogel
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 1421407892
Total Pages : 587 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (214 download)

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Book Synopsis Phantom Menace or Looming Danger? by : Kathleen M. Vogel

Download or read book Phantom Menace or Looming Danger? written by Kathleen M. Vogel and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2012-12-15 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A call for a new way to assess bioweapon threats—recognizing the importance of the sociopolitical context of technological threats. The horrifying terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax strikes that soon followed gave the United States new reason to fear unconventional enemies and atypical weapons. These fears have prompted extensive research, study, and planning within the U.S. military, intelligence, and policy communities regarding potential attacks involving biological weapons. In Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?, Kathleen M. Vogel argues for a major shift in how analysts assess bioweapons threats. She calls for an increased focus on the social and political context in which technological threats are developed. Vogel uses case studies to illustrate her theory: Soviet anthrax weapons development, the Iraqi mobile bioweapons labs, and two synthetic genomic experiments. She concludes with recommendations for analysts and policymakers to integrate sociopolitical analysis with data analysis, thereby making U.S. bioweapon assessments more accurate. Students of security policy will find her innovative framework appealing, her writing style accessible, and the many illustrations helpful. These features also make Phantom Menace or Looming Danger? a must-read for government policymakers and intelligence experts. “This is an engrossing book that exemplifies what STS can bring to broader issues of policymaking in the US and potentially beyond, and it is well worth reading.” —Carla Nappi, New Books in Science, Technology, and Society “Kathleen Vogel has authored one of the most important books written about biological weapons in recent years. . . . Vogel tackles head-on the conventional wisdom regarding the biological weapon (BW) threat, successfully, challenging assumptions that have gone largely unexamined by the broader biodefense community. . . . She also uncovers some deeper organizational and social forces that have shaped US intelligence and threat assessments since the end of international security, not just those with an interest in biodefense or intelligence. This, this book is a must-read for scholars and practitioners in the field of international security, not just those with an interest in biodefense or intelligence.” —Gregory D. Koblentz, Nonproliferation Review “Intriguing, original, and deeply informed. Focusing on potential threats, Vogel shows in engaging historical detail that technical problems are inherently social. She has made an important scholarly contribution to science and technology studies and to studies of intelligence. At the same time, she speaks directly to the policy world. The combination of depth of scholarship and practical implication is remarkable.” —Lynn Eden, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University