Within the scientific elite of the United States, there exists a group of scholars shrouded in mystery. In their daily lives, they are professors and researchers at some of the country’s most prestigious universities, but in parallel, they carry out secret missions with a direct impact on national security and global protection.
This is the Jason Group, composed of more than sixty scientists from various fields who advise the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies. Informally known as the Jasons, they are called upon to conduct scientific studies that support critical decisions related to defense and national security.
More than half of the reports produced by this group are classified as confidential. The topics they cover range from nuclear arsenals and spy satellites to biological warfare, ballistic missiles, intelligence, and defense against terrorist attacks. The Jason Group was formed in 1960 to provide independent scientific consulting to the Pentagon and has since served multiple government agencies. However, the group’s future remains uncertain. After all, who are the Jasons, and what makes them so special?
Independence and Secrecy
While many government agencies have advisory boards, the Jasons operate differently. Unlike other groups, they are not tied to a single institution, offering their services upon request to different departments. According to Ann Finkbeiner, author of The Jasons: The Secret History of the Postwar Scientific Elite, “they operate like freelancers” and are “the most independent defense science consultants in the world” because they do not report directly to any government authority.
In her article “JASON past, present, and future: the world’s most independent defense science advisers”, published in Nature on September 21, 2011, Finkbeiner explores the group’s history, activities, and significance. She reveals that the Jasons select their own members and do not accept external impositions, ensuring their independence and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Most Jasons prefer to maintain a low profile, both for security reasons and because many of their academic colleagues would not look favorably upon their collaboration with the government on military matters. As Finkbeiner noted, “They don’t want to attract the attention of the bad guys.”
The group’s very name sparks curiosity. Some speculate that it is an acronym, but Finkbeiner suggests it references Jason, the Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, known for his quest for the Golden Fleece. This association reflects the nature of their mission, which involves complex and strategic intellectual challenges.
Studies and Impact
Many of the studies conducted by the Jasons remain classified, making it difficult to measure the direct impact of their contributions. However, some achievements are known, such as the development of laser technologies that minimize atmospheric distortion in astronomical observations.
Not all of the group’s projects have been free of controversy, though. During the Vietnam War, the Jasons developed sensor technology to detect troop and vehicle infiltrations along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. While the initial goal was to prevent information leaks, the technology was used by the U.S. Air Force to intensify bombings, drawing criticism over the military application of the group’s inventions.
In 2019, the U.S. government announced it would suspend operational support for the group and not renew its contract with the Mitre Corporation, a nonprofit organization that assists research centers. In response, the Jason Group issued a warning about the possibility of its dissolution, which would jeopardize the continuation of its activities.
Despite the cuts, the Department of Defense indicated it still had an interest in the group’s technical advice, though it sought more efficient resource management. Shortly after, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) renewed the Jasons’ contract for another eight months, allowing for the completion of ongoing studies and the search for a new federal sponsor.
Finkbeiner describes the Jasons as “survivors” and believes that government agencies will continue to need their expertise. As she states, “This country needs them badly.”
Origins and Evolution of the Jason Group
The Jason Group was created in 1960, at the height of the Cold War, by a group of university scientists who wanted to contribute to U.S. defense. Initially called the Jason Committee, it brought together some of the brightest physicists of the time, including figures like John Wheeler and Robert Oppenheimer, both involved in developing the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project. Over time, scientists from other fields, such as mathematics, oceanography, engineering, computer science, and biology, joined the group.
Since its inception, the Jasons have been tasked with developing top-secret reports for the Pentagon, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the CIA, the NSA, and even the President of the United States through the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
The group’s early projects were classified because they focused on developing military technology for the Vietnam War. Today, their research spans various areas, from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to climate change and advanced biotechnology.
Their secret meetings, held every summer, serve to discuss ongoing projects, propose improvements, and develop new ideas. Some studies, when deemed of public interest, are released by the Pentagon, as happened with the Pentagon Papers, which brought the Jason Group into the public eye.
During the summer of 1980, they conducted experiments with chemical lasers, achieving excellent results. That decade, they also investigated one of the most actively researched fields of artificial intelligence in the past twenty years—speech recognition—in a study called Speech Research.
In the summer of 1990, they examined a series of technical issues raised by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in a report titled U.S. Special Operations Command. Also during this decade, they published studies on the greenhouse effect (December 1991) and the feasibility of using a particle accelerator for tritium production (an isotope used in nuclear magnetic resonance) in a report called Tritium Production Accelerator. DNA computing (biocomputers) and quantum computing were also subjects of Jason’s research.
Research and Scientific Advances
Since its foundation, the Jasons have conducted groundbreaking studies in various fields:
- 1970: Investigation of the Project Sanguine, which enabled communication with submarines at great depths without being detected.
- 1979: Publication of the report The Impact of Carbon Dioxide on the Atmosphere, predicting global temperature increases due to rising CO₂ levels.
- 1980: Experiments with chemical lasers, which led to significant advancements.
- 1990: Development of the Speech Research study, one of the earliest on voice recognition and artificial intelligence.
- 2000: Analysis of quantum computing and DNA computing (biocomputers).
- 2010s: Research on human genome exploration, bioengineering, military communications, and microbial forensic intelligence.
DIRECTED ENERGY DIRECTORATE/U.S. AIR FORCE
The Future of the Jasons
Originally funded by DARPA, the Jason Group lost this sponsorship in 2002 but secured new contracts with the MITRE Corporation and the Department of Defense’s Research and Technology Directorate. Despite recent uncertainties, the group continues to influence the strategic decisions of the U.S.
Although membership in the Jason Group is a prestigious achievement for any scientist, its members avoid mentioning this affiliation on their résumés. It is unclear whether this is by personal choice or a government requirement.
Ann Finkbeiner interviewed 36 Jasons—about half of the members—and revealed more about their activities than any other public document has disclosed. Her book,The Jasons: The Secret History of Science’s Postwar Elite (Viking, 2006), traces the group’s trajectory over four decades, presenting its original, eccentric, and hyper-intelligent members.
A selection of unclassified JASON reports can be found [here].
