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British Spy Agency Searches For Real-Life 'Q'
suraj.sun writes with this quote from the Associated Press:"Britain's domestic spy agency — MI5 — is hunting for its very own 'Q,' of sorts. MI6's sister organization, which carries out surveillance on terror suspects inside Britain and gives security advice to the government, is searching for someone to lead its scientific work. Projects could include everything from developing counterterrorism technology to tackling a biological or chemical attack. 'Looking for a chief scientific adviser to lead and coordinate the scientific work of the security service so that the service continues to be supported by excellent science and technology advice,' MI5's Web site ad reads. MI5 has long had a roster of scientific staff tasked with developing high-tech gadgets, but an official said the service now wants a high-profile figure to lead pioneering work in technology and science. The adviser's work will focus chiefly on creating sophisticated new tools to help security service officers carry out surveillance and analysis work, said a government security official, who requested anonymity to discuss the work of MI5."
Well, I can think the requirements for entering the Continuum, including omnipotence, a flagrant disregard for all other races and a fondness for haunting starships would be rather difficult to find...
oh, right.
Those using pirated Tinysoft signatures(TM) are a real threat to society and should all be thrown in jail.
Intelligence operations are nothing like the movies.
...look at your phone and email records? I remember a crazy time when only the Police could do that, and only then with a court order.
Q had the cool gadgets, but R would jump right in and give a hands on demonstration!
Karma Whoring for Fun and Profit.
The model for Q didn't do science or engineering per se. He just knew where to get anything. If you wanted to send an agent into Germany, everything about him had to be absolutely authentic. Q could find a German tailor in Manchester who would create an absolutely perfect garment for whatever purpose. A garbage man's uniform would be stitched differently from a general's uniform.
You agent might be caught but it wouldn't be because a watch pocket was on the wrong side. Q was an absolute stickler for detail.
Q's general policy has always been, "don't call me, I'll call you." But he's probably still tormenting Picard and Janeway, so MI5 should probably talk to them if they really want to find him.
Some of these are jokes, yeah, but it appears other people are genuinely confused. We're talking about the James Bond Q, not the Star Trek Q. RTFA.
Sir Clive Sinclair.
I hearby nominate Adam Savage!
Tony Sale's Wikipedia page seems to omit the work that he did most of his life. But some aspect of his work during that time is briefly mentioned in the banned-in-Britain book Spycatcher.
Prime numbers are exactly what Alan Greenspan says they are -S. Minsky
: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Wright . He "was an English scientist and former MI5 counterintelligence officer." He stuck a weed up the British Government's ass by writing a book about his experiences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spycatcher. British Intelligence officers are supposed to keep their mouth shut in retirement. It's a very interesting read, especially when he describes how those hollow microwave bug thingies function.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
"Gentlemen, let me demonstrate my new invention. This device has a satellite tracking module and a powerful bomb. We shall oblige every citizen of the British Empire to implant these devices, so we can keep order and peace in our Homeland. I named it Trusted People Module."
Q?
Can't they just wait for the new James Bond movie to come out every few years to get ideas? I mean hell, MI5 even contacted the producers for Thunderball asking how the rebreather worked, and if they could get one.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
This is a job for Jobs.
MI5 (chief scientific adviser) job application https://www.mi5careers.gov.uk/job.aspx?jobid=167 MI6 (James Bond) job application http://www.mi6.gov.uk/output/careers-1.html, note not the same organisation.
The final two are Macgyver and Inspector Gadget.
Wait a minute....don't they already have Inspector Gadget? Or was he French?
'Q' stands for quartermaster and that is what the character of the same name plays. Many years ago I heard an interview with Ian Fleming in which he talked about it. I can't find a reference though (and it's driving me crazy.)
The inspiration for the gadgets may have come from Sidney Cotton who was a friend of Ian Fleming.
Oh, wait...V would kill them.
The final two are Macgyver and Inspector Gadget.
Well, with the economic troubles and all - they probably don't want to hire Inspector Gadget because they'd also have to hire Penny to keep cleaning up after his mistakes. And now that she's older, she's learned to negotiate.
#DeleteChrome
To be eligible for any decent position in the Civil Service in the UK, especially in intelligence, you must be able to answer YES to the following questions:
1. Did you go to Oxford or Cambridge?
2. Did someone approach you while there?
3. Did you not mouth off about it?
4. Are you thoroughly apolitical, or Establishment political (from a well-known family, perhaps)?
5. Which is to say, are you content with power per se, precisely as assigned to you?
And, though you'll not be around idiots, don't expect your job to be a thrill a minute. You're probably just sitting in an office all day translating the latest Arabic waffle which some higher-up will either ignore or take out of context, depending on the needs of the day.
but I'll hold out for the job of the real-life 'Lucius Fox', thank you very much.
I've watched the movies and even a few episodes of the TV show. Here are the known advantages for being Q:
1. Apparently unlimited R&D budget.
2. No ES&H looking over your shoulder while minions shoot themselves and blow themselves up.
3. You're free to just work things out without some PHB running about and micromanaging you.
4. You get to leave your sub sandwich wherever it's convenient at the time and no one even thinks of touching it.
5. You get to spend a great deal of time critiquing toys that explode.
6. You get to know what tailors across Europe are up to - and combined with #1, above, implies a LOT.
7. Main staff are assigned to check in with you before working - and they do. N.B., you do not write memos and status reports about what they'll find - people have to ask - once.
8. Your day isn't filled just with minions shooting themselves and blowing themselves up - you get to talk to people, including staff, that experiences the outside world.
9. Overall main staff is hip and intelligent.
10. You can get exasperated with James Bond and talk to him like he's a child and instead of shooting you (remember - license to kill), and instead of politically backstabbing you within the organization, he likes you for it and makes jokes.
Pathological kinda promises Path + Logical - but instead, you get stuck with pathetic.
Resumes should be sent c/o Miss Moneypenny.
It was always implied (and when questioned, Ian Fleming stated) that Q stands for Quartermaster. The person in charge of inventory and sign-in/sign/out of government material to officers/enlisted for the regular course of their duties. In many countries, this includes kit, uniform and weapon. Extras may also include nuclear powered night-vision underwater goggles that do double duty as an electric toothbrush, shaver, and anti-tank/anti-aircraft weapon. Its handy too, if it appears to be an ordinary fountain pen, engraved with the persons initials and highly embossed in mother-of-pearl.
1. Very few products survive field testing to provide useful data
2. Minions, no matter how disposable, still require a surpising ammount of paperwork.
3. Unlimited R&D budget limited to a list of "approved vendors"
4. You're employers have a license to terminate you, and ensure your body is never found.
5. Women choose men in tuxedos over men in lab coats every time.
That really would be the job of a lifetime, but I assume people know that the mere fact of working for MI5 is an Official Secret, and can only be divulged under fairly limited circumstances. If you ever blab a word about it to anybody, you will envy the folks at Gitmo. Especially somebody in as senior a position as this.
If I met the residency/citizenship requirements I'd apply. Seriously. I've thought about approaching the local spooks, but have never gotten around to it. Hence the AC posting.
One of those magnetic watches that can unzip a cocktail dress at a distance.
Have gnu, will travel.
If you go back to WW2, the UK had a research lab which produced many curious inventions worthy of "Q". It was part of the SOE and known as "Station IX". It was based in an old Mansion just South of Welwyn in Herts.
You can now buy a catalogue of their weird and wonderful creations - which included such things as:
Explosive Rats (designed to destroy boilers)
Motor Bikes which folded into a small case and could be dropped by parachute. ("Welbike")
Silenced Single shot guns ("Welrod")
Explosive Pens.
Land Mines disguised as faeces from a wide range of Animals. These had a double effect - not only could they knock out enemy vehicles, but they slowed progress and sapped morale by forcing the occupants of enemy vehicles to get out and probe carefully every last turd they came across.
AJB
The person they're looking for would have had to have access to so much of the world's sensitive Science & Technology info, that he or she is already well known to this organisation...
OR...
there is no suitable candidate...
UNLESS...
some Chinese, Indian or Russian has the info it would take (eg, by virtue of their work looking at & keeping up-to-date with "their competition's" Science & Technologies).
I really don't think this is the stuff for a /. article... are you guys becoming a virutal tabloid or what?!? ;-)
Enuf said.
Other than recruitment why would you want a high profile person. Having some one well known and in the public eye makes him/her that much more easy of a target.
Maybe they'd be more successful if they were like the movies.
More freethinking, rugged individualism.
Less risk averse bureaucratic types that are more worried about covering their own arse.
Less making political points, more action oriented.
Less cracking down on their domestic citizens, and more overseas adventurism.
Less hiring of blonde haired, blue eyed females with law degrees, more hiring of slightly dodgy individuals that can speak a number of exotic languages.
It'd be great, but it'd piss of the government hating lefties (but if we talked to our enemies they'd be our friends!), and the righties would be bamboozled that something other than football metaphors and 'send in the marines' can solve foreign policy problems (Jesus didn't say nuffin about espionage in that thar bible, it's for pussies!).
A win on all accounts I say.
Remember, MI6 have never had anyone killed, their chief said so at the Diana inquest in Paris. I see no reason to disbelieve this, other than the fact that the government swore blind that MI6 agents didn't assist in torturing people at Guantanamo, and then admitted that, well, they had actually.
...this is why you should do well in school if you can - so when an opportunity like this comes along, they'll want you.
Chuck Norris: Socialism == a thousand years of darkness.
Hmmmm ... think they'd consider one of us colonial cousins?
Maybe a fresh outside look, eh wot? But I might want to bring a sidekick. Perhaps someone Canadian, just to reassure our British cousins a bit?
"I should be very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your pocket. An Eley's No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist steel pokers into knots. That and a toothbrush are, I think, all that we need."
Well, the main reason for #10 is probably because to Bond, Q is basically Santa Claus.
MI5 were recently in the news for alleged complicity in the torture of detainees in Pakistan.
Before you jump at this glamorous top secret job, think about who you will be working for.