Who will the United States fight against and who will fight with it? Where will these future conflicts be fought? What will future conflicts look like? How will they be fought? And why will the United States go to war? This report is the overview in a series that seeks to answer … | Continue reading
Local and state officials are thinking through whether, when, and how to lift social-distancing restrictions. We asked three RAND researchers about the complex problem of reopening. | Continue reading
Pandemics present a high risk of medical supply shortfalls. But shortfalls in “hot spot” regions could be reduced by minimizing idle inventory and acquisitions of new supplies in regions where the number of infections is low. A backstop mechanism could help assure these “cool spo … | Continue reading
Artificial intelligence offers great promise for national defense. For example, a growing number of robotic vehicles and autonomous weapons can operate in areas too hazardous for soldiers. But what are the ethical implications of using AI in war or even to enhance security in pea … | Continue reading
The COVID-19 pandemic is placing extraordinary strains on the U.S. medical system, especially hospitals. RAND developed an interactive tool to help hospitals estimate current critical care capacity and rapidly explore strategies for increasing it. | Continue reading
Quantum computers are expected to revolutionize computing. But hackers may be able to use them to crack the encryption system that protects all digital communications. How soon could this scenario become a reality? And what can be done to prevent it? | Continue reading
Quantum computers that are exponentially faster than any of our current classical computers and are capable of code-breaking applications could be available in 12 to 15 years, posing major risks to the security of current communications systems. | Continue reading
Quantum computers are expected to be powerful enough to break the current cryptography that protects all digital communications. But this scenario is preventable if policymakers take actions now to minimize the harm that quantum computers may cause. | Continue reading
With infections of the new coronavirus confirmed in countries around the world, people are following the daily tally of COVID-19 cases, wondering exactly how lethal this new disease is. The truth is, it's hard to know. | Continue reading
Humans carry flaws in deciding what is or is not real. The internet and other technologies have made it easier to weaponize and exploit these flaws. And artificial intelligence will likely be used to exploit these weaknesses at an unprecedented scale, speed, and level of effectiv … | Continue reading
After the 2008 financial crisis, research and policy focused on the risk that heavily interconnected networks could fuel the spread of economic crises—a problem known as systemic risk. A new analysis considers systemic risk in other sectors like technology, telecommunications, an … | Continue reading
America's fentanyl crisis is unlike previous drug epidemics and is likely to get worse. Deaths involving it and other synthetic opioids have surged from around 3,000 in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2018. Solving the problem requires innovative approaches and unprecedented resource … | Continue reading
Russia uses gray zone tactics—ambiguous actions that target domestic or international public opinion—across Europe. Wargames found that vulnerability to these tactics varies. And they can be countered by hardening Western societies against Russian propaganda and attempts to under … | Continue reading
There are 71 million forcibly displaced people, and many of them live in developing countries. Refugees and the agencies that assist them have turned to technology as a vital resource, but gaps remain. How can tech be developed and used more strategically in humanitarian settings … | Continue reading
Where do Americans get their news? What news sources do they view as reliable? And how are choices about news consumption linked to demographics or political affiliation? Results from a national survey provide insights into these questions and more. | Continue reading
Where do Americans get their news? What news sources do they view as reliable? And how are choices about news consumption linked to demographics or political affiliation? Results from a national survey provide insights into these questions and more. | Continue reading
With the rise of the internet and social media, false or intentionally misleading information can spread further and faster than ever before. What tools exist to fight disinformation online? | Continue reading
Complex, opaque technologies like artificial intelligence provide significant benefits to society. But those don't eliminate the need for accountability and transparency. | Continue reading
Living in an information society opens unprecedented opportunities for hostile rivals to cause disruption, delay, inefficiency, and active harm. Social manipulation techniques are evolving beyond disinformation and cyberattacks on infrastructure sites. How can democracies protect … | Continue reading
Adolescents who use vaping products are not only more likely to smoke cigarettes but are also likely to increase their use of both products over time. The increased use cannot be attributed to other risk factors, such as consuming alcohol or marijuana. | Continue reading
Description of a very high speed transit (VHST) system operating in its own rarefied atmosphere in evacuated tubes in underground tunnels. | Continue reading
Hostile social manipulation includes social media campaigns, sophisticated forgeries, cyberbullying, and spreading rumors and conspiracy theories to cause damage to a state. As these techniques are used by Russia and China, the United States should invest more resources to unders … | Continue reading
Americans spent about $150 billion on cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in 2016. The cannabis market was roughly the size of the cocaine and meth markets combined. | Continue reading
This paper examines the history and output of RAND — an almost ''pure cold war'' institution. By the late 1960s, more of RAND's budget went for domestic research, and the analytical methods that RAND had manifested during the Cold War were actively engaged in the war on poverty. | Continue reading
Social media can be used to raise awareness of the Army among the public, but it's especially important for potential recruits and the adults who might influence them. An analysis of how people are engaging with GoArmy.com and the Army's Facebook and Twitter accounts suggests way … | Continue reading
In what ways has news reporting in print, on television, and online changed over the last 30 years? Overall, there has been a shift toward more-subjective reporting, but many of the changes have been subtle. | Continue reading
Researchers and educators have noted the emergence of a school reform "churn." New initiatives and programs are adopted, only to be dropped when the next popular reform emerges. How do principals and teachers perceive continuity in the programs at their schools? | Continue reading
Placing graphic anti-smoking warning labels on cigarette packages may deter some adults from purchasing tobacco products. But the strategy is unlikely to influence smokers who are most addicted to nicotine. | Continue reading
Russia has a range of tools and methods short of conventional war that it can use to achieve its goals in Europe. There is no way to predict what Russia will do, but it's possible to analyze its motives and opportunities, the means it might employ, and how the United States shoul … | Continue reading
As tech-based systems have become all but indispensable, many institutions might assume user data will be reliable, meaningful and, most of all, plentiful. But what if this data became unreliable, meaningless or even scarce? | Continue reading
People are more likely to choose unhealthy foods from November to December. And the holiday pounds they gain account for 60 to 70 percent of weight gained per year. | Continue reading
This Memorandum is the first of a three-part final report on the GRAIL (GRAphical Input Language) Project sponsored by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense. | Continue reading
RAND is studying “Truth Decay”—the diminishing reliance on facts and analysis in American public life. Truth Decay presents a threat to both evidence-based policymaking and democracy. RAND invites fellow researchers and engaged stakeholders to join our efforts to find solutions. | Continue reading
RAND is studying “Truth Decay”—the diminishing reliance on facts and analysis in American public life. Truth Decay presents a threat to both evidence-based policymaking and democracy. RAND invites fellow researchers and engaged stakeholders to join our efforts to find solutions. | Continue reading
It is necessary to face issues of the individual's right to privacy raised by the future automation of information systems. | Continue reading
Research and development in newer and better technological aids and techniques for law enforcement is desirable, but caution and adequate safeguards are needed to ensure that technology is not misused to create an oppressive police state. | Continue reading
A discussion of the engineer's responsibility to protect privacy in an age of increasingly automated personal and business documentation. | Continue reading
This paper, presented in 1954 to the Los Angeles Section of the Institute of Radio Engineers, examines the early field and trends of digital computing. | Continue reading
A warning that unintended but disastrous effects on society have resulted from improved and computerized recordkeeping, owing to (1) the habit of limiting the number of variables considered to those easily quantified, (2) the tendency to use ... | Continue reading
The Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching initiative enhanced how teachers are evaluated and improved teacher staffing policies but did not lead to gains in student achievement or graduation rates. | Continue reading
In order to advance autonomous vehicles into daily use, alternative testing methods must be developed to supplement on-the-road testing. Alternative methods might include accelerated testing, virtual testing and simulators, mathematical modeling, scenario testing, and pilot studi … | Continue reading
“Truth Decay” is the diminishing reliance on facts and analysis in American public life. It has many damaging consequences: the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengagement from political and civic institutions, and uncertainty over U.S. policy. | Continue reading