HOW do terrorism and torture fit in modern world politics? The German government is funding an intense five-day Battlestar Galactica role-playing game to find out.

Basing the live-action role-play event on the popular science fiction television series is no vote-winning gimmick.

The dark, gritty show of a decade ago has been chosen because the murky situations and paranoia it addressed have strong parallels in current world events, including the ideological Islamic State and the CIA’s torture scandal.

And the German government hopes locking up 80 of its aspirant diplomats, politicians and military leaders aboard a retired naval destroyer will teach them a lesson or two in something largely missing from modern international politics — ethics.

It is intended to challenge the players — each tasked with specific roles — with issues of freedom, humanitarianism and survival.

“Players will get to experience problems of our society from a complete new viewpoint,” the organisers state.

It’s an exercise named Project Exodus.

The fictional scenario is set aboard the Hesperios — a refugee ship seeking a new home after its worlds had been destroyed in a brutal war with machines disguised as humans.

The ship picks up an escape pod: It’s an event which brings the intergalactic war on board.

Nobody knows who is really on their side.

That’s it. From there the crew have to figure out for themselves how to expose and eradicate the evil among them.

The German Federal Agency for Civic Education has backed the project aboard the Wilhelmshaven warship starting February 4 as part of its purpose to broaden public understanding of political and media issues.

It’s not the first time such an exercise has been conducted.

In 2013, the Swedes did a similar thing on one of their warships.

Efforts to conduct a similar exercise in the United States, however, never got off the ground.

Is it a subject too hot to handle?