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“With more knowledge, we gather the ability to comprehend more earnestly the fusion of science and morality. I think that if you give people information and you give them the opportunity to draw their own conclusions from that information, we all continue to learn more.”  – Annie Jacobsen

National security and defense are complex topics that impact the lives of billions of people on Earth. We all want a more peaceful world, but the eye for an eye mentality is still deeply ingrained in humanity.

One journalist and author has spent years investigating some of the most controversial topics in defense, national security, war, and geopolitics. That’s none other than Annie Jacobson. Annie is the author of seven books and is the consulting producer and writer on the TV series, Jack Ryan. Whether its Area 51, the lesser-known Area 25, the origins of our intelligence agencies, DARPA, or profiling the group of covert operators that help protect our leaders, Annie Jacobsen has researched it all.

On today’s episode, Annie and Chad cover an array of topics, including how Annie got her strange start in these fields and some of the most interesting subjects, stories, and characters from her books. They also discuss her nonpolitical approach to these delicate and, in some cases, recently declassified topics and take a look at the ethical implications of technology wielded by human operators.

All of that and more on today’s episode with Annie Jacobsen.