Predicting the future (email, working, error, network)

[eskercurve]

Both Google and the CIA have invested in a company named Recorded Future. Basically, the idea is RF does real-time searches on the internet and connects people with their blog, Twitter, email, message board, and news sources to determine events and how they connect with people and organizations real-time. This can be used to determine past behavioral patterns in the people that make the news / create the entries in blogs / Twit and from there predict how they will behave in the future.

To me this sounds like a bunch of tea-leaf reading and crystal ball shenanigans, but it is interesting that someone would have the insight to attempt to scour the internet and create predictive patterns based on a person's behavior. Some industries may be predictable - like aerospace. But terrorism and stuff like that I hardly think are predictable.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010...ve-google-cia/

[ToucheGA]

This might not be as far-fetched as it seems. Any psychologist can tell you that past behavior in humans is the best predictor of future behavior. I think the same can be said about things that people post on social networking sites. Keep in mind that this will simply help the feds form educated guesses about future behavior for these individuals, The data they obtain will not be able to predict anything with 100% certainty.

[bs13690]

This sounds sort of like psychohistory. Any Asimov fans out there agree?

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by bs13690

This sounds sort of like psychohistory. Any Asimov fans out there agree?

Yes. Him and his brother, Freezum