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Armed with Science

Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military is a weekly webcast that discusses the importance of science and technology to military operations and the Department of Defense. We interview scientists, administrators, and operators to inform our listeners about cutting-edge scientific research and development sponsored by various defense offices. Tweet questions to @ArmedwScience and get SCIENCED!

Latest Episodes:

Episode #64: Making Waves -- Studying the Effect of Sonar on Marine Mammals Apr 21, 2010

Show notes

Dave Moretti of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI, is the principal investigator for the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges program sponsored by the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division. He will discuss ongoing Navy-funded studies into the effects of sonar on marine mammals based on research gathered from Navy ranges where populations of sonar-sensitive whales have been identified.
Researchers are analyzing data from prototype passive acoustic tools designed to monitor these animals before, during, and after active sonar operations, then combining it with visual and tag data to better understand animals' reactions to sonar.
Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport
Navy Ocean Stewardship
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Episode #63: World Malaria Day: Research Advances by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Apr 14, 2010

Show notes

US Army Col. Christian Ockenhouse, director of the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), will discuss WRAIR’s malaria efforts, which encompass vaccine research, drug development, and diagnostics.
The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the premier biomedical research facility for the Department of Defense, focusing on the health and medical readiness of US military personnel while supporting global health efforts. WRAIR's portfolio includes the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Naval Medical Research Center's Malaria Research Department
PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
Seattle Biomed
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
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Episode #62: EPA and DOD Decontamination Science and Collaborative Research Apr 07, 2010

Show notes

This segment of Armed with Science highlights the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) roles and responsibilities for homeland security research in two key areas: protecting critical infrastructure (drinking water and waste water systems) and recovering from biological, chemical or radiological attacks following domestic incidents.
Joining the program is Dr. Peter Jutro, Deputy Director for Science and Policy at the EPA's National Homeland Security Research Center. He will discuss how EPA’s research (in collaboration with the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Health and Human Services) provides scientific support to develop detection tools, establish procedures for containing contamination, measuring risks, and evaluating new and promising clean-up technologies and methods, including disposal methods in support of first responders.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA Homeland Security Research
Greenversations: The EPA's Official Blog
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Episode #61: Developing Today’s Breakthrough Science for Tomorrow’s Air Force Mar 31, 2010

Show notes

Dr. Joan Fuller, Program Director, and Major Michelle Ewy, Program Manager, at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s Aerospace, Chemical, and Material Science Directorate, will discuss how basic research plays a crucial role in the development of future Air Force technologies. They will explain the process of finding the world’s top researchers and some of the breakthrough technologies that have resulted from basic research in their fields. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, they will also share some words of advice for young women interested in pursuing scientific careers.
Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
AFOSR Aerospace, Chemical and Material Sciences Directorate
AFOSR on Facebook
AFOSR on Twitter
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Episode #60: Using Geoscience in Support of Marine Corps Operations Mar 24, 2010

Show notes

Our guest is Master Sergeant Kari L. Hubler, United States Marine Corps, who has been an enlisted specialist in the field of meteorology and oceanography for the past 17 years. While most of her career has been spent in operational forecasting, she currently serves as a curriculum developer and trainer at the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Professional Development Center in Gulfport, Mississippi. She also serves as the Marine Corps liaison to the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command for training and education.
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Episode #59: The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium -- Leaping into the Future Mar 17, 2010

Show notes

The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) is a program that provides high school students the support and resources to design and conduct original research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas.
We’re joined by Dr. Lynn Smith, director of the European Regional JSHS and member of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA), who will discuss the major goals of the program and how it’s working to widen the pool of trained talent that will ultimately conduct research and development vital to our nation. Several students and mentors taking part in the JSHS program will join the call to discuss their experiences and their plans for the future.
Regional JSHS
National JSHS
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
DoDEA Europe
DoDEA Pacific
Academy of Applied Science
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Episode #58: The SAVE Program – Teaching Vehicle Control to SAVE Soldiers Lives Mar 10, 2010

Show notes

Sally Shoop and Barry Coutermarsh, research engineers at the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab, will discuss the SAVE (Synthetic Automotive Virtual Environments) program, which aims to building hardware and software that can teach soldiers how to control a vehicle to avoid accidents and rollovers, and save the lives of military and civilian vehicle operators.
One third as many soldiers are killed in vehicle accidents than in combat. To get technology for accident avoidance training into the hands of our soldiers, first you have to have good models for road surfaces encountered in military operations so that the vehicle dynamics is accurate enough to respond like a real vehicle.
Two characteristics that make this SAVE distinctive from others are the ability to add unique surface environments into models and a partnership with top experts in the field, including Team O’Neil Rally School and Vehicle Control Training (VCT) of Franconia, NH, MIT, Georgia Tech, Ford Motor Company, SimCraft, and the Mechanical Simulation Corporation.
US Army Cold Regions Lab
Parent Army Corps of Engineers
Soldier TV video
NHPR Radio interview
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Episode #57: UrbanSim -- Counterinsurgency Computer Training Game Mar 03, 2010

Show notes

Dr. Andrew Gordon, research associate professor at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) will discuss UrbanSim, ICT’s computer-based game to support the training of military commanders and their staffs in complex counter-insurgency and stability operations. Dr. Gordon is the project leader for UrbanSim and will talk about where and how the application is being used, as well as ICT’s development of methodology to ensure training objectives are being met. He will also explain the ICT research that is integral to the successful development of a training game like this, including intelligent tutoring, multi-agent social simulation and story driven learning environments.
The UrbanSim project is being performed under the ICT contract being managed by the United States Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Simulation and Training Technology Center.
USC Institute of Creative Technologies
UrbanSim
ICT on YouTube
ICT on Twitter
ICT on Facebook
US Army REDCOM Simulation and Training Technology Center
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Episode #56: High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) Feb 24, 2010

Show notes

The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, more commonly known as "HAARP," is a joint Air Force and Navy research program to enhance our knowledge of the physics of the ionosphere and radio science. The ionosphere, an upper atmosphere layer between about 60 and 200 miles in altitude, contains charged particles created by solar activity. These charged particles can impact long-range communications and space operations.
HAARP is a research program and facility whose goal is to understand the impact of the ionosphere on communications and space systems and to aid in the development of methods to improve DoD’s utilization of these systems.
Today we are joined by key members of the HAARP management team from both Air Force and Navy, including:
• Mr. James Battis, HAARP Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space Vehicles Directorate
• Dr. Todd Pedersen, Senior Research Physicist, AFRL, Space Vehicles Directorate
• Dr. Keith Groves , Senior Research Physicist, AFRL, Space Vehicles Directorate
• Dr. Paul Bernhardt, Senior Research Physicist, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Plasma Physics Division
• Dr. Craig Selcher, HAARP Program Manager, NRL, Plasma Physics Division
Additional links:
Air Force Research Laboratory
AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate
Naval Research Laboratory
HAARP
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Episode #55: African American Women in the Military Feb 17, 2010

Show notes

Dr. Regina Akers, historian at the Naval History and Heritage Command and expert on African American history, will discuss the little-publicized contributions of African American women in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Akers will also discuss the importance of oral history in documenting African American contributions in the military, what today's youth can learn from the experiences of African Americans, and her motivations for pursing a career in research.
Naval History and Heritage Command
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On LinkedIn
On YouTube
On Twitter
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