science

Ragtime (code name)

Ragtime (code name) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ragtime (code name) rather than just read about it. In short: Ragtime or RAGTIME is the code name of four secret surveillance programs conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States. These programs date back to at least 2002 and were revealed in March 2013 in the book Deep State: Inside the Government Secrecy Industry, by Marc Ambinder and D.B.

Key takeaways

Ragtime (code name) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ragtime (code name) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ragtime (code name) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ragtime or RAGTIME is the code name of four secret surveillance programs conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States. These programs date back to at least 2002 and were revealed in March 2013 in the book Deep State: Inside the Government Secrecy Industry, by Marc Ambinder and D.B. Grady. These special programs are conducted under the code name RAGTIME (also abbreviated as RT), and are divided into several subcomponents. It's said that about fifty companies have provided data to this domestic collection program. RAGTIME consists of four parts: RAGTIME-A, RAGTIME-B, RAGTIME-C, and RAGTIME-P. According to the book Deep State, only about three dozen NSA officials have access to RAGTIME's intercept data on domestic counter-terrorism collection, though outside the agency some 1000 people have knowledge of the program's details. Internally, the NSA has a compliance staff of about four or five people to ensure the program stays within laws and regulations. Under the RAGTIME-P program, the FISA court and the US Attorney General both certify a slate of approved targets, which include bulk data, like phone call logs and records that can be collected around those targets. Apparently, RAGTIME-P can process as many as 50 different data sets at one time. All intercepted data go to the NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, where a program called XKeyscore processes them and sending them to different so-called "production lines" that deal with targets, like counterterrorism or specific countries. These processed data are stored in different NSA databases like PINWALE for internet content and MARINA for internet metadata, which is generally stored for five years. Originally, RAGTIME only applied to NSA Establishment FISA data, but in 2002 this was changed and since then the program encompasses both NSA Establishment FISA and FBI FISA data. According to Marc Ambinder, RAGTIME refers to phonecall and e-mail content intercepted under FISA authority.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ragtime (code name)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ragtime (code name) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ragtime (code name) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ragtime (code name) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ragtime (code name)

In research: Ragtime (code name) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ragtime (code name) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ragtime (code name) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American secret government programs, Code names, Counterterrorism in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ragtime (code name) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ragtime (code name) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ragtime (code name) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ragtime (code name) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ragtime (code name) in simple terms?

Why does Ragtime (code name) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ragtime (code name)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ragtime (code name).