To boldly go...to the NSA

[JoeZhang]

According to the sources contacted by Foreign Policy for a recent profile, NSA head Keith Alexander is a "cowboy," a well-intentioned extremist, a blithely naive fan of big data. He is also, it appears, a huge fan of Star Trek. Foreign Policy describes Alexander's data-processing "Information Dominance Center" in Fort Belvoir, Virginia as the site of a high tech homage to the Starship Enterprise. Alexander reportedly had his operations center redesigned to mimic the Enterprise bridge, "complete with chrome panels, computer stations, a huge TV monitor on the forward wall, and doors that made a 'whoosh' sound when they slid open and closed."

http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/15/4...ance-center-redesigned-as-starship-enterprise

Pictures in the link and other links in story.

 

[F. King Daniel]

If he's an Abrams hater then America is DOOMED.

 

[ixfd64]

Here's another link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown...led-war-room-after-star-treks-enterprise.html

Regardless of how I feel about the NSA, it's cool to see Trekkies in high places. :-)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Honestly, someone who would do something like this would make me more concerned because it shows a lack of perspective. Why not run an office like an office, not like you're a god damn starfleet captain. Be a fan of a television show (and film franchise) after you finish work, not during work.

 

[The Wormhole]

Be a fan of a television show (and film franchise) after you finish work, not during work.

I sure am glad you're not my boss.

 

[Sci]

There's nothing inherently wrong with modeling a command center on the basic layout of a Star Trek bridge -- the rounded layout, with the commander able to see all workstations and a large central information display, is actually a very rational design, I think. But deliberately designing the furniture to look futuristic? That's a waste of taxpayer money at best -- and suggestive of a disturbing disconnect from reality at worst.

 

[Iamnotspock]

Just as long as he doesn't make his staff wear the uniforms.

 

[R. Star]

As cool as that looks, this is just another example of taxpayer money being wasted.

 

[Forbin]

We toyed with this idea at a place I worked in the late 70s. It was a videotape mass-recording center (making tapes for rental) When I started working there it was already arranged in a circle - a huge room with mass racks of VCRs around the outside, two rows of broadcast playback machines in the center to play the movies, and a control station at the front of the room. It was already halfway to the Enterprise bridge then. But the head of engineering had me do some design studies to make it even MORE like the bridge, with circular control panels. No center seat, though.
Here's a couple of the design models I did:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/stmodel.html

 

[trevanian]

^Looks halfway between COLOSSUS and THE TIME TUNNEL.

As for the NSA thing, it remind me more of the GALAXY QUEST Protector than an Enterprise bridge ... if Ken Adam had done it, that is, since it is chrome instead of grey.

 

[publiusr]

It looks nice.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Just as long as he doesn't make his staff wear the uniforms.

Or, if he does, let's hope that he is at least self-aware enough to make them Section 31 rather than Starfleet.