Israeli intelligence failed – but rarely has intelligence been perfect

+ turning brain waves into art US Edition - Today's top story: Intelligence failure or not, the Israeli military was unprepared to respond to Hamas' surprise attack [View in browser]( US Edition | 13 October 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Russia’s empire-building came with a high price]( - [What AI and Jewish mysticism have in common]( - [Want to keep your muscles as you age? Strength train]( Lead story Much has been made of the intelligence failure that allowed the brutal and surprising attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to catch the Israeli military off guard. More surprising was Hamas’ ability to use bulldozers, hang gliders and motorbikes to breach and overcome sophisticated defense systems that include a 40-mile-long wall separating Israel from where the majority of Palestinians live in Gaza. But what some military analysts did not expect was Israeli military officials’ apparent overreliance on intelligence and early detection systems. Over the course of his career in special operations, retired U.S. Colonel Liam Collins conducted hundreds of tactical, operational and strategic missions based on intelligence. “[Never once did I expect intelligence to be perfect](,” Collins wrote. “In fact, it rarely was.” More important in preparing a military defense, Collins explained, is “understanding how your enemy thinks and operates.” And on that front, the Israeli military also appeared to struggle. Lastly, we’ve got a special [Friday the 13th news quiz today](, written by University of South Carolina sociology professor and expert on superstition Barry Markovsky. Could it be your lucky week? We’ll send The Conversation stickers to the first 13 readers who send us a screenshot showing a score of 7 or 8. Howard Manly Race + Equity Editor Israeli soldiers ride on a transport vehicle near Re'im, Israel, on Oct. 10, 2023. Marcus Yam/ Los Angeles Times [Intelligence failure or not, the Israeli military was unprepared to respond to Hamas’ surprise attack]( Liam Collins, United States Military Academy West Point A special forces officer explains why an overreliance on intelligence is a recipe for disaster. Politics + Society - [Gaza depends on UN and other global aid groups for food, medicine and basic services – Israel-Hamas war means nothing is getting in]( Topher L. McDougal, University of San Diego Many people in Gaza are reliant on the United Nations and other international aid groups to meet their basic needs, like food and medical care. A scholar of peace and conflict economics explains why. Economy + Business - [Empire building has always come at an economic cost for Russia – from the days of the czars to Putin’s Ukraine invasion]( Christopher A. Hartwell, Kozminski University; Paul Vaaler, University of Minnesota A new study traces how Russia’s empire building, especially in Ukraine, resulted in long-term economic damage and fomented rebellion for over a century. Science + Technology - [Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system works well – here’s how Hamas got around it]( Iain Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder If Israel’s Iron Dome is the best air defense system in the world, how did so many Hamas missiles get through? An aerospace engineer explains it’s a game of numbers. - [3 powerful earthquakes strike Afghanistan in one week – here’s how people around the world prepare for disasters]( John van de Lindt, Colorado State University One way to prevent the destruction wrought by a devastating earthquake – like the one that hit Morocco in September 2023 – is to construct resilient homes and buildings. Ethics + Religion - [From ancient Jewish texts to androids to AI, a just-right sequence of numbers or letters turns matter into meaning]( Rhona Trauvitch, Florida International University Advanced artificial intelligence is new, but a similar idea has been around for hundreds of years: the power of a just-right sequence of numbers, letters or elements to animate matter. Health + Medicine - [Steep physical decline with age is not inevitable – here’s how strength training can change the trajectory]( Zachary Gillen, Mississippi State University Weightlifting and other forms of resistance training can help stave off loss of muscle mass and other age-related physical decline. Education - [This engineering course has students use their brainwaves to create performing art]( Francesco Fedele, Georgia Institute of Technology Art and science combine in this engineering course to let students turn their brainwaves into creative works. International - [Marathon under 2 hours is closer than ever – scientist shows how Kenya’s Kiptum tests human limits]( Simon D Angus, Monash University Kiptum – and to some extent Kipchoge – have done just enough to make the ‘sub-2’ moment a likely reality in the next few years. - [Estonia-Finland pipeline explosion: what’s the evidence that the damage was deliberate?]( Thomas Froehlich, King's College London Nato has promised to act if the pipeline has been attacked, but a thorough investigation is needed before jumping to any conclusions. 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