More than one way to skin a cat: Users of the Sentient World Simulation can use graphs, charts and even alternate reality avatars to visualize their information.

U.S defense, intel and homeland security officials are constructing a parallel world, on a computer, which the agencies will use to test propaganda messages and military strategies.

Called the Sentient World Simulation, the program uses AI routines based upon the psychological theories of Marty Seligman, among others. (Seligman introduced the theory of “learned helplessness” in the 1960s, after shocking beagles until they cowered, urinating, on the bottom of their cages.)

Yank a country’s water supply. Stage a military coup. SWS will tell you what happens next.

The sim will feature an AR avatar for each person in the real world, based upon data collected about us from government records and the internet.

The Defense Department is already running sims of Iraq and Afghanistan, China and dozens of other countries, as it prepares for a future of house-to-house urban warfare.

Here’s a link (below) to my story about the Sentient World Simulation at The Register:

clipped from www.theregister.com Sentient world: war games on the grandest scale Sim Strife By Mark Baard Sentient World Simulation (SWS), it will be a “synthetic mirror of the real world with automated continuous calibration with respect to current real-world information”, according to a concept paper for the project.”SWS provides an environment for testing Psychological Operations (PSYOP),” the paper reads, so that military leaders can “develop and test multiple courses of action to anticipate and shape behaviors of adversaries, neutrals, and partners”