In the first half of the program, journalist and author Annie Jacobsen discussed DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency which began during the Cold War and now develops robot warfare, drones, and brain control among many other frightening things. She traced the origins of DARPA back to 1958 when the agency was created in response to the Russians launching Sputnick. Jacobsen explained that the Soviet achievement meant that they had passed the United States in terms of science and technology, which prompted a concerned Congress to devote a massive amount of money towards reclaiming that advantage via DARPA. This strategy proved to be tremendously successful, Jacobsen marveled, and "we've never lost that top position in military technology since the agency was created."
Although most DARPA projects are shrouded in secrecy and often deeply classified, Jacobsen provided details on a number of advancements by the agency which have been revealed the public in recent years. One area of research, she said, centers around "systems that couple animals and machines," known in military terms as 'biohybrids' or 'cyborgs' in pop culture parlance. According to Jacobsen, DARPA has been able to create both a rat that can be steered by remote control as well as moths that actually have technology implanted into them when they are still only a worm. Looking ahead to the future, she predicted that DARPA's next big development will be "an army of drones that can work in concert" on land, sea, and in the air. Ultimately, she suspects that fully autonomous drones as well as further advancements in artificial intelligence will be areas which DARPA hopes to master.
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In the latter half, Barry Eaton, one of Australia's most experienced radio and TV presenters, shared insights into the afterlife based on his communication with countless spirits who have passed to the 'other side.' Eaton recalled how, after the passing of his partner Judy in 1997, he turned to psychic mediums as a means of communicating with her. During this process, he also established a relationship with the spirit of a well-known Australian film producer named John Dingwall, who provided him with a lot of information about the afterlife. Eventually, Eaton claimed, Dingwall served as a proverbial 'spokespirit' for "about 95 to 100 different spirits in various levels of the afterlife," who imparted messages for mankind about not just the process of passing over but also life here on Earth.
"They are very concerned about the number of mediums and psychics that are cropping up out of the blue," Eaton cautioned, noting that these individuals are usually severely lacking in qualifications, training, and ability. "There are some brilliant mediums and fantastic psychics, but you really have to be so careful," he warned, because lesser experienced practitioners can "cause far more harm than any good that they can possibly do." Eaton also talked about cryogenics and how his 'spirit team' was dismissive of the controversial practice of freezing a body in the hopes of reviving a person long after their death. He reasoned that this is because the process only preserves the body while the soul journeys into the afterlife and, as such, should it become revived in the distant future, it is unlikely that the original spirit would return to their long-discarded vessel.
News segment guests: Robert Zimmerman & Andre Eggelletion