The Pros And Cons Of Combinatorial Evolution
Nieto-Gomez explains combinatorial evolution as a series of innovations, accelerated by the rate of technological advancements that produce infinite combinations of possibilities on society that can and are unpredictable (p. 2). These combinations or recombinations can have positive, as well as negative impacts.
On the darker side of combinatorial evolution are horrific events such as the Oklahoma City bombing attack of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. Convicted for the bombing attack was Timothy McVeigh and co-conspirator, Terry Nichols.
The combinatorial evolution, including technology and science, consists of many elements that were developed over time and converged on this one disastrous and fatalistic day. Similar to the 9/11 attacks that Nieto-Gomez describes as “the product of thousands of years of innovation in a radical, deadly, and novel way” (p. 2). According to Lou and Dan Herbeck’s American Terrorist, McVeigh and Nichols used deadly combinations of chemicals and everyday elements like fertilizer to create a bomb and blast attack that killed 168 people, injured over 600 and destroyed several buildings and structures. For …show more content…
example, a rental truck was used to hold 13 barrels each weighing approximately 500 pounds. Fuses were then set up to initiate, through shock tubes, the 350 pounds of Tovex Blastrite Gel "sausages," which would set off the barrels of chemicals. Of the 13 filled barrels, nine contained ammonium nitrate and nitromethane, and four contained a mixture of the fertilizer and about four gallons of diesel fuel.
Second, the target of the federal buildings that represent order, civility and protection of citizens not just in Oklahoma City, but in America, were used by McVeigh to symbolize evil, and as a result became concrete graves for many of the innocent victims of this attack.
According to the Nieto-Gomez, in order to decrease the likelihood of these events, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must take proactive, innovative measures to adopt and embrace all technologies and think about how to recombine these technologies in as many combinations as possible to increase resilience in our society. To do this, the author contends that DHS, the umbrella agency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), should work with public and private technology and innovation entities and various thought leaders and inventors to learn , share and utilize these ideas to enhance the agencies ability to mitigate the impacts of combinations or recombinations of technology that would harm or threaten society. There will not be a “magic theory” to solve the problems that may cause harm, nor be able to predict and identify the next Timothy McVeigh. However, the reccommendation is to assemble a large diverse group, open access to technology, create a ‘laboratory’ concept of idea-generation-good and bad, plausible and impropable, and generate as many combinations and scenarios as possible to increase resillience.
This approach is analogous to the integrated emergency management approach which as a concept, and in practice draws upon the knowledge, experience, practices and interactions with diverse groups and entities in an effort to enhance, improve and increase capabilities and resilience.
Therefore, emergency managers should take heed of the principles, namely to be collaborative, comprehensive and innovative. For emergency managers, one of the most important tools and critical starting point is the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The development of the EOP calls for the integration of public and private sector entities to assess and evaluate the capabilities and vulnerabilities of a community and to develop measures to reduce the negative impacts of threats and hazards and overall, to improve
resilience.
In this approach of combinatorial evolution, emergency management then employs the open systems and complexity theories that in collective application and interpretation allow and empower emergency managers to extend boundaries, eliminate barriers, and foster two-way engagement and engagement that will enable the diverse inventors, planners, technology experts, and leaders to leverage uncertain environments. Thereby, reinforcing Nieto-Gomezs' position that DHS should embrace the rapidly changing and unpredictable combinatorial evolution and plan for it.(p. 5).
On the darker side of combinatorial evolution are horrific events such as the Oklahoma City bombing attack of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. Convicted for the bombing attack was Timothy McVeigh and co-conspirator, Terry Nichols.
The combinatorial evolution, including technology and science, consists of many elements that were developed over time and converged on this one disastrous and fatalistic day. Similar to the 9/11 attacks that Nieto-Gomez describes as “the product of thousands of years of innovation in a radical, deadly, and novel way” (p. 2). According to Lou and Dan Herbeck’s American Terrorist, McVeigh and Nichols used deadly combinations of chemicals and everyday elements like fertilizer to create a bomb and blast attack that killed 168 people, injured over 600 and destroyed several buildings and structures. For …show more content…
example, a rental truck was used to hold 13 barrels each weighing approximately 500 pounds. Fuses were then set up to initiate, through shock tubes, the 350 pounds of Tovex Blastrite Gel "sausages," which would set off the barrels of chemicals. Of the 13 filled barrels, nine contained ammonium nitrate and nitromethane, and four contained a mixture of the fertilizer and about four gallons of diesel fuel.
Second, the target of the federal buildings that represent order, civility and protection of citizens not just in Oklahoma City, but in America, were used by McVeigh to symbolize evil, and as a result became concrete graves for many of the innocent victims of this attack.
According to the Nieto-Gomez, in order to decrease the likelihood of these events, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must take proactive, innovative measures to adopt and embrace all technologies and think about how to recombine these technologies in as many combinations as possible to increase resilience in our society. To do this, the author contends that DHS, the umbrella agency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), should work with public and private technology and innovation entities and various thought leaders and inventors to learn , share and utilize these ideas to enhance the agencies ability to mitigate the impacts of combinations or recombinations of technology that would harm or threaten society. There will not be a “magic theory” to solve the problems that may cause harm, nor be able to predict and identify the next Timothy McVeigh. However, the reccommendation is to assemble a large diverse group, open access to technology, create a ‘laboratory’ concept of idea-generation-good and bad, plausible and impropable, and generate as many combinations and scenarios as possible to increase resillience.
This approach is analogous to the integrated emergency management approach which as a concept, and in practice draws upon the knowledge, experience, practices and interactions with diverse groups and entities in an effort to enhance, improve and increase capabilities and resilience.
Therefore, emergency managers should take heed of the principles, namely to be collaborative, comprehensive and innovative. For emergency managers, one of the most important tools and critical starting point is the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The development of the EOP calls for the integration of public and private sector entities to assess and evaluate the capabilities and vulnerabilities of a community and to develop measures to reduce the negative impacts of threats and hazards and overall, to improve
resilience.
In this approach of combinatorial evolution, emergency management then employs the open systems and complexity theories that in collective application and interpretation allow and empower emergency managers to extend boundaries, eliminate barriers, and foster two-way engagement and engagement that will enable the diverse inventors, planners, technology experts, and leaders to leverage uncertain environments. Thereby, reinforcing Nieto-Gomezs' position that DHS should embrace the rapidly changing and unpredictable combinatorial evolution and plan for it.(p. 5).