Happy 50th Birthday, DARPA

DARPA is 50 years old as of February, 2008.

They're the people who, among other things, brought you the internet and GPS, and developed stealth technology. Its role in the U.S. military structure is to fund "blue sky" research projects that could keep up America's military edge, but are seen as too risky or out-there for a traditional defense research department to pursue.

Their model has worked well enough that IARPA, a similar agency but with an intelligence focus, has been created recently with the same goals.

In recognition of their 50th, NewScientist and Popular Mechanics have both published articles. NewScientist's article highlights the successes, failures, and current projects, while the PopSci artcile is a short piece outlining the agency's method.

DARPA themselves posted a video of their history as well, on the site page for their 50th event: Here