Analog Superpowers - How Twentieth-Century Technology Theft Built the National Security State

Explore the surprising early history of computing, intellectual property law, and government secrecy in this History of Science lecture that reveals how twentieth-century technology theft shaped the modern national security state. Discover the fascinating story of two British defense contractors who invented an analog computer for aiming battleship guns in the decade before World War I, only to have both the British and US navies pirate their invention rather than pay for it. Learn how the subsequent patent infringement lawsuits led to groundbreaking legal precedents when both governments invoked national security privileges to withhold evidence, marking early instances of state secrecy in defense innovation. Examine how these legal battles became entangled with high-level Anglo-American diplomacy during World War II and the Manhattan Project, ultimately contributing to the development of nuclear secrecy protocols. Gain insight into the broader implications for defense innovation, the evolution of patent law in military contexts, and the historical transition from British to American global hegemony. Connect these historical developments to contemporary tensions between the US and China over computing technology, understanding how past patterns of technology transfer and intellectual property disputes continue to shape international relations and national security policy today.