By Robert D. Lamb ■ It’s common to talk about the evolution of machines in comparison to humans — the Turing test, when will computers be as intelligent as humans, can robots be conscious like humans, etc. But there’s a forgotten tradition of research (called cybernetics) that compares humans, machines, and human societies to see what […]

For years, I’ve been researching, writing, speaking, advising, and ranting about systemic problems in foreign-policy making, especially with regards to complex conflicts, stabilization and reconstruction, and international development. Today, Melissa Gregg and I submitted the full draft of our joint monograph, “The Dual-System Problem in Complex Conflicts,” arguing that policy systems today are fundamentally unadapted to the complex […]

By Robert D. Lamb ■ My most recent commentary focuses why policy systems so often fail to institutionalize lessons learned with respect to conflict, fragility, and development—and what the research community can do differently to help policy makers overcome barriers to effectiveness. > Read the full commentary here