Fighting ISIS With an Algorithm, Physicists Try to Predict Attacks

The New York Times ^ | June 16th, 2016 | By PAM BELLUCK

[Mariner]

After Orlando and San Bernardino and Paris, there is new urgency to understand the signs that can precede acts of terrorism. And with the Islamic State’s prolific use of social media, terrorism experts and government agencies continually search for clues in posts and Twitter messages that appear to promote the militants’ cause.

A physicist may not seem like an obvious person to study such activity. But for months, Neil Johnson, a physicist at the University of Miami, led a team that created a mathematical model to sift order from the chaotic pro-terrorism online universe.

In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Dr. Johnson and Miami colleagues searched for pro-Islamic State posts each day from mid-2014 until August 2015, mining mentions of beheadings and blood baths in multiple languages on Vkontakte, a Russia-based social media service that is the largest European equivalent to Facebook. Ultimately, they devised an equation that tries to explain the activity of Islamic State sympathizers online and might, they say, eventually help predict attacks that are about to happen.

[Mariner]

And Microsoft's Bing can predict pancreatic cancer before you even go to the doctor...

[Mariner]

http://technoaisle.com/bing-used-predict-cancer-patients/

[gr8eman]

To paraphrase Frank Zappa...it’s getting dumber every day!

[CharlesOConnell]

They should find it an easier job to come up with a Government Official STUPIDITY Al-Gore-Rhythm.

[DCBryan1]

Its a very simple formula: M+W+I=T

Muslim + Weapon + Infidel = Terrorism

[showme_the_Glory]

If person = muslim then don’t turn your back for @ second.

[dp0622]

yeah. How’d we ever win WWII without algorithms :)

[Red Badger]

Algore has no rhythm............

[Pearls Before Swine]

Is this more “Minority Report” or more Hari Seldon’s “Foundation” psychohistory?

For the record, I think Asimov’s conception of psychohistory, a predictive thermodynamics of future human action and political evolution, was brilliant.

[Iron Munro]

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Hopefully, it will work as well as the Global Warming algorithms.

[cassiusking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujRE2IkEIo

[pfony1]

Why haven’t we used our M.O.A.B.?

The “Mother-of-All-Bombs” is a non-nuclear bomb that can destroy entire city blocks. So we don’t need to “precision-guide” it like a drone-delivered “Hellfire” bomb.

“Close Enough” could wipe out the leaders of Isis in their bunkers in Raqqa.

Why not try to win?

[Jim W N]

Curious what their variables are.

A HUGE variable is Obama and the Left. Once Trump gets in there, that variable will change dramatically.

[Mariner]

These advanced algorithms...work.

They can narrow the field from 10million to 1,000. Or 100.

And they track far, far more than internet and cell phone activity.

[BitWielder1]

How exactly would they test this algorithm?

[COBOL2Java]

"Just make sure your algorithm doesn't factor in one's Muslim faith!"

[MNDude]

I bet I can come up with a simpler formula than theirs.

[thoughtomator]

that was the grant money they offered

[sparklite2]

Collateral damage is the reason. We fight friendly.