Michael Belfiore talked about his book The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs (Smithsonian, 2009). He calls DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, America's greatest idea factory. It is the place where scientists meet military personnel to bring to fruition previously unrealized technological innovations, like the Internet and GPS. Mr. Belfiore had access to research sites across the country to provide one of the most thorough inside looks at the agency, founded by President Eisenhower, which later gave rise to NASA. He discussed the history of DARPA and its ongoing projects with the guest interviewer Joanne Carney.


Michael Belfiore is a freelance journalist who has been covering commercial space exploration for many years. He has written for many publications, including Popular Science. He is author of Rocketeers.