After the Soviet Union shocked the United States by successfully launching the first artificial satellite in 1957, President Eisenhower recognized the need to accelerate our nation's research and development capacity, in order to meet the future challenges that the Cold War would bring.
Thus, in 1958, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA, was born. The agency was later rolled into the Defense Department and re-designated DARPA. Early on, DARPA distinguished itself with a unique, high-risk, high-reward approach - directing funding towards diverse sets of long-shot projects with the understanding that the return on investment would be worth it even if only one or two projects succeeded.
Though DARPA's budget was only a fraction of total DoD spending during the Cold War, the tiny agency has had an outsized impact on creating the technologies that shape our modern world. From GPS to drones to even the internet - the fruits of DARPA's labors surround us.
In the 21st century, a few efforts have been made to adapt DARPA's innovation model outside the defense sector. This saw the created of ARPA-Energy in 2009 and now ARPA-Health in March of this year. What can we learn from the ARPA model, and can it help prepare us for a future where technology will be sorely needed to address the rising global threat of climate change?
To discuss, The Buzz is joined by William Bonvillian, MIT lecturer, author and former senior senate advisor on science and technology policy.
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Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young Community
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound