Via pretty much everywhere, even places that normally don’t mention science fiction, comes the news that the Department of Homeland Security have reformed ‘Sigma’, a conclave of well known science fiction writers (Bear, Niven, Pournelle, Andrews, Walker), to think up some brilliant new ideas to keep the US safe from terrorism. Um, OK. I love science fiction as much as anyone reading this blog, I’m sure, but I can’t see that having five authors thinking up neat ideas like a “brain-scanning skullcap that could tell agents what kind of explosive material a dog had picked up” is really the best answer to this particular problem.