Module 11

It’s been many moons ago since I’ve had a chance to watch Wargames.  I suppose that now that the movie is nothing in comparison with the modern day CGI shows and enhanced 3D effects.  Nevertheless, the concept of accessing military computers via a phone connection was just science fiction to mainstream Americans in 1983.  Most Americans back then did not have personal home computers that we have today, so I suppose the show to the general movie-goers in the 80's was just pure entertainment. 

The movie Wargames begins with the problem of humans not launching missiles but not just any human rather professional soldiers trained to follow orders to launch Intercontinental ballistic missile, (ICBM) that would start World War III.  As a result the military implements the difficult decision to launch ICBM process to a single computer that will not hesitate to launch against any perceived enemy.  In the movie David (Matthew Broderick) is a teenager who has a personal computer that hacks into his high school computer to change his grades. Well David also decides to hack into a toy company, seeking to access new games, however, he eventually figures out the password to another computer instead of the toy company, he connects to the War Operation Plan Response (WOPR) system that is located at the North American Aerospace (NORAD) in Colorado.  Unknowingly, he now has access to the military network that controls all of the worldwide military weapons operation.  David wants to play a game but not any game - he wants to play Thermo War game between USA and the Soviet Union.  David soon discovers that the computer is playing for real and the United States of America is changing its military safe guard condition to DEFCON 1 that means that nuclear war is imminent and this is the highest condition of readiness against any threat toward the United States. 

My personal memory of the 80’s is slowly diminishing but I still do have some memories bouncing around in my brain that are alive and well.  I do recall several headline news stories of teenagers hacking into high school networks or banks and some trying to access military networks back then.   I’m sure the same thing goes on even today.  I’m sure the movies like Tron, Short Circuit, 2010, and Terminator inspired wanna be hackers or even real hackers. During this science fiction genre it has become apparent that a good handful of the technology back then has become more or less a reality today.   The technology of computers has definitely evolved and changed to enhance our lives to be more efficient and more productive in how we function in our daily activities.  Perhaps, letting our computers make difficult decisions for us has made our lives a little easier? For example the simple tasks of finding addresses or phone numbers, I use to hate to do but now I can find those tasks by simply asking “Siri” via my I-phone or devices that have those same functions.  However, on the flip side I suppose it also brought on elements of fear of how much technology will/has control of our daily lives in other words maybe this is the first step of losing our own humanity?