New Books in Political Science Kate Epstein on How Twentieth-Century Technology Theft Built the National-Security State" (U Chicago Press, 2024)
Oct 27, 2025
Join Kate Epstein, an associate professor at Rutgers University-Camden and author of Analog Superpowers, as she dives into the intriguing links between technology theft and the rise of the national-security state. She reveals how historical legal breaches drove innovation, the tensions between defense contractors and civil liberties, and the pivotal roles of battleships in military strategy. Their discussion highlights the complex dynamics of intellectual property and secrecy that shaped modern defense contracting and U.S.-British technology exchanges.
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Fire Control As Early Analog Computing
- Analog fire-control systems were early, sophisticated analog computers solving calculus problems for moving ships.
- Kate Epstein links their invention to IP conflicts and national-security secrecy that reshaped state capacity.
Secrecy Versus Patent Claims
- The Pollen–Isherwood lawsuit revealed governments invoking secrecy to withhold evidence from inventors.
- Epstein uses these cases to explore tensions between IP, secrecy, and state power in Britain and the U.S.
Deep Archival Digging
- Epstein spent extensive time in U.S. and British archives, including the National Archives and the PRO, to trace naval and patent records.
- She also mined patent prosecution files in Kansas City and DOJ case files for rich, previously overlooked evidence.
