Six Secrets has become The Brief: Spy agencies brief people in power. We brief you. Each week we’ll bring you one story that matters, plus a few that don’t!
Your Brief for Thursday, March 28, 2024: What’s all the fuss about TikTok? Parrots making video calls, bringing back the Titanic, a Great Escape mystery and more!
News
What's all the fuss about TikTok?
The US is debating what to do with TikTok, the irresistible video messaging app that has hooked 170 million users across the country. TikTokers see the social media platform as a gateway to free speech. Lawmakers see it as a national security threat: as Senator Richard Blumenthal puts it: “TikTok is a gun aimed at Americans' heads."
So what’s all the fuss about? ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, says it won't give American user data to the Chinese government, but the possibility terrifies US lawmakers. The House has now passed legislation that could ban TikTok or force ByteDance to sell it, but the debate is stuck in the Senate and may well take a judge to determine if national security concerns should override the First Amendment right to free speech.
There is a precedent here: India banned TikTok in June 2020 - instantly ending access for more than 200 million users, who quickly shifted to YouTube shorts and Instagram. As North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop says: “America confronts a grave challenge in China, and it will not prevail by becoming more like it.” Either way, the US finds itself at risk over a song-and-dance app, risking shooting itself in the foot.
Technology
Will our pets be texting us soon?
A researcher at Boston’s Northeastern University aims to cultivate deeper bonds between humans and animals through shared tablet games. Rébecca Kleinberger and her team have taught parrots to use video call apps to connect with their feathered friends and reduce feelings of isolation. Now they're investigating how dogs and orcas could interact with technology. As animals become more tech-savvy, can we tailor gadgets to their needs? And could a future where we 'talk' with our animals be closer than we think?
Travel
Ready to cross the Atlantic on the new Titanic?
Australian mining tycoon (and sometime politician) Clive Palmer has nurtured an audacious dream for a decade - to recreate the legendary ship sunk by an iceberg in 1912. Palmer has unveiled plans for Titanic II, a modern marvel poised to sail from England to New York in 2027. With a capacity for 2,345 passengers, the ship promises all the grandeur of its predecessor, offering a journey of luxury and nostalgia, most likely without Kate Winslet and Leonardo di Caprio. Palmer wants to rewrite history with a tale of human resilience and redemption. Would you book a passage on this bold new Titanic?
Testers Wanted • Teams of 2-5 players • 50 mins from $17!
The brand-new social experience where you and your teammates flex your gaming skills in multiple zones of brain-teasing, pulse-racing fun!
As the CIA’s former chief of disguise, Jonna Mendez knows that when it comes to effective espionage, a spy’s look - particularly the ability to become someone else - can mean the difference between life and death. “It could make you one of them and not one of us,” Jonna says. ”We could change your ethnicity. We could change your gender. We could make you whatever you needed to be around the group that you were targeting, and you could still be safe.”
How good can a disguise be? In a meeting with President George H.W. Bush and senior advisors from NSA and CIA, Mendez disguised herself as a female colleague, when President Bush asked her what she’d brought to show him she said: “I’m wearing it”. After a brief inspection the president gave up trying to guess what she was hiding, prompting Mendez to then peel off her mask and wow the room. Listen to Mendez share more extraordinary disguise stories and skills here:
In 1944, the infamous "Great Escape" saw 76 allied airmen flee the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp, only for many to be recaptured and executed. This brave effort, later immortalized in film, has taken a dark turn with a recent revelation from the National Archives. Flight Lieutenant Desmond Plunkett, a key figure in the escape, made a post-war claim that two English Nazi collaborators were involved in the betrayal leading to the executions of 50 airmen. "These two persons must be traced...and must be tried for their collaborating activities with the enemy," Plunkett insisted in a 1945 document. Historians are intrigued but many are skeptical: Guy Walters, a historian, contends the 50 men were caught due to their own mistakes, not betrayal. He says the real horror was not any act of betrayal but the order from Hitler to execute the men, transforming an act of war into a war crime. These recent revelations add a complex layer to the celebrated escape, challenging our understanding of betrayal and heroism under the shadow of war.
Spy Objects
The Ninja Spy Hotel
Kengo Kuma, one of the world’s most celebrated architects has revealed that a hotel once considered the best small hotel in Kyoto was actually designed as “a kind of spy paradise for Ninjas.” The historic Nijo Jinya Inn was a place where Japanese feudal lords would meet to discuss their ambitions and secret plans.
Japan had a complicated political system at that time: The Shogun held military power, but always in a delicate balance with the power of the Emperor. So, the Shogun would rely on Ninja spies to gather intelligence about the Emperor, his family, and the Daimyo feudal lords who held regional control.
Hidden from view, the Ninja spies would listen in from crevices and corridors concealed in the intricate woodwork of the building. The walls of the Nijo Jinya hotel echo a forgotten world of conflict, drama, and suspense. Kengo shares the full story here:
Puzzles have long been the true test of a spy’s problem-solving powers, but where did they come from? Emerging in the twilight of WWI to offer solace amid the turmoil, crossword puzzles were the cunning invention of Arthur Wynne, a British editor at the New York World (previous home of Joseph Pulitzer, of the Pulitzer Prize). The puzzle craze exploded in the ‘20s as puzzles were seen on everything from themed postcards to patterned stockings. Trains in NYC carried dictionaries and The New York Public Library had to introduce a five-minute limit on reference book checkouts to placate unruly crowds. Famously, the British recruited their legendary Enigma code-breakers to Bletchley Park in WW2 using a clever crossword puzzle competition that cemented the bond between puzzles and spies! This week we bring you a colorful puzzle inspired by their exploits.
Go is an ancient Chinese board game that boasts a history spanning over 4,000 years. Known for its simple rules but profound depth, Go was used to train the minds of spies and military leaders alike. The game is played with simple black and white stones on a grid, with each player aiming to outmaneuver and capture territory from their opponent. Its elegance lies in its complexity, offering infinite possibilities and strategic depth. Celebrated for its intellectual rigor, Go has not only survived for millennia but continues to thrive today, showing the valuable role that games can play in our lives.
Music
'Nobody does it Better': A Tribute to the Ultimate Spy
Carly Simon's timeless ode to the allure and mystique of the spy figure (specifically James Bond) uses a smooth melody and romantic lyrics to celebrate the unmatched skill, charm, and cunning that define the iconic secret agent. It's a musical acknowledgment of the spy as not just a character but an ideal, seamlessly blending danger and seduction in a world where only the best survive.
The Brief is brought to you by SPYSCAPE - NYC's #1 Museum & Experience. Discover your hidden powers at SPY HQ or enjoy team-based social gaming at SPYGAMES.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=Disguise%20AI%20(1).jpg)
