How to Disable a Superpower

Show: Through the Wormhole
Season number: 5
Episode number: 5
Air date: June 11, 2014
Episode name: How to Disable a Superpower
https://www.science.unsw.edu.au/news/unsw-physics-leads-morgan-freeman’s-wormhole-eureka-prize

Summary:

Everything that governments use relies on technology and computer programs. If these programs could be attacked by just a few terrorists an entire country could fall to its knees. We can now take out one country's computer network to make them completely vulnerable. There are many ways to attack a computer network. One is to take out the Internet Time Service upon which they all rely. All electronic devices rely on exact time to function. This time is set and controlled by the Internet Time Service and if it was taken out all computers around the world would be "lost". Another way to use technology to attack is to create an ID card with a virus. If a card is required to open a door this card can be encrypted with a virus that when scanned can do whatever the attacker wants to the security system it has infected. These are just two of the many ways technology we have made can be used against us.



Discussion:

This issue is very interesting and can greatly affect today's world. Since humans now rely on computers, humans now can be destroyed by computers if those computers are altered, thrown off or even turned off. Nearly everything we do relies on computers from turning on a light to gassing up your car. All of these every day tasks are now at risk since they rely on computers to function. There is not much we can do to prevent this problem as there is no such thing as an unsolvable code and no way to stop cyber attacks. Therefore the only way to protect ourselves is to stop relying on technology but even this is difficult since our jobs, schooling and money are all controlled by technology. Basically we have reached a point of no return where all of our lives depend on technology and there is no way to change it without starting over.