By Kenneth A. Stewart

NPS Professor and Department of Computer Science Chair Dr. Peter Denning welcomes attendees to the Big Ideas Exchange in Ingersoll Hall, Dec. 4. Patterned after the hugely successful "TED Talks" lecture series, the Big Idea Exchange showcases potentially game-changing insights at NPS.

"We want to find insights with the potential to bloom into something big and beautiful that the Navy can use," said Denning. "Innovation doesn't happen with a snap of the fingers, it takes time. It starts with a seed that doesn't look like much, then it unfolds."

This year's exchange showcased the work of Distinguished Professor Dorothy Denning, Professor John Arquilla, Associate Professor Dave Alderson and Cmdr. Zachary Staples. Each presenter was chosen for his or her insightful work and innovation into the realm of cyber security.

"[Innovation] is a social idea. How doe we get people to adopt change … Innovation happens when people adopt the practices surrounding a new technology," said Denning.

For Denning and his colleagues, finding the insights that lead to future innovations has been a passion of sorts. They have worked on everything from countering extremist networks and defeating IEDs to the swarming of unmanned aerial vehicles.

"Our faculty are working with our students to find seeds that may grow into future innovations," said Denning. And if this year's exchange is an indication of things to come, they will not have to look far.