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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.
...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.
But they are exactly like the TV shows (Spooks/MI-5)
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.
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.
: 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!
I'd think that they'd want something stealthy and not something that always end up with a big boom...
Peter Wright did a book about MI5's work ("spycatcher" - you'll have trouble getting a copy in the UK) that seems quite informative...
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.
But they are exactly like the TV shows (Spooks/MI-5)
The woman who actually runs MI-5 watches the show. She has commented that the two big errors are the assumption that everything is eventually knowable and that five people can do it all.
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.
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