Archive for the ‘armed with science’ Category

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Simulated Biological Attack on the Pentagon – A Science Cheerleader Report

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

My latest video blog entry for Science Cheerleader featuring more awesome music from Princess Ladyfriend.

On Saturday, July 11, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), the Defense Agency responsible for protecting the Pentagon, conducted an operational response test to a simulated outdoor airborne biological attack on the Pentagon grounds. The study consisted of the release of a harmless gardening powder into the Pentagon parking area, where nearly 100 citizen volunteers were positioned, followed by subsequent decontamination and surface sampling of the volunteers. The results will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of various emergency personnel and guide future operational responses to attacks on the Pentagon.

Best of all, Pentagon security relaxed its usual restrictions on photography and permitted media to film virtually all aspects of the operation. I had an opportunity to interview various subject matter experts, including Mr. Paul Benda and Dr. Christina Murata, Director and Deputy Director of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Directorate at the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, as well as some of the volunteers for a SciCheer video report.

If you’re interested in learning more about the operational response test, check out “Armed with Science”, the Defense Department’s weekly science podcast, this Wednesday at 2pm ET on Pentagon Web Radio. I’ll be interviewing Mr. Benda and Dr. Murata live, and anyone can submit questions before or during the show by posting to the Armed with Science podcast or the Twitter page.

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A Neurosigntist’s Wanton Disregard for Federal Authority of the Day (Or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the JuxtapositionFest 2009)

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
Protect THIS!

Awesome: This morning, I attended the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s “Urban Shield” Operational Response test. The test was conducted to improve the operational response of emergency personnel to an outdoor airborne biological attack and to evaluate the effectiveness of various personnel decontamination procedures. Test volunteers were positioned at locations inside and outside of the Pentagon, and a single release of a biological particulate tracer material, referred to as garden powder, occured along a nearby access road. Post-release, volunteers were transported to a decontamination station near the Pentagon Navy Annex, where test volunteers underwent surface sampling to evaluate their exposure to the particulate tracer followed by one of two water-based decontamination protocols. Post-decontamination, volunteers underwent another round of surface sampling to evaluate removal of the particulate tracer.

Awesomer: The event marked a rare opportunity to break one of the forbidden laws of the Pentagon grounds: no photography.

Posted in Washington DC, armed with science, government, of the days, signs | View Comments

Armed with Gene Guns!

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Infectious diseases, gene guns, and the military — all on this week’s Armed with Science!

LISTEN to Dr. Connie Schmaljohn, senior scientist at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, discuss research investigating vaccines against two types of hantaviruses, which are known health threats to U.S. troops stationed in Europe and Asia. The research team used small amounts of genetic material, or DNA, from the Hantaan and Puumala viruses to develop the vaccines. These DNA vaccines are potentially more cost-effective, and the needle-free vaccination method used to deliver them is less painful. She discusses the research that led to the development of these vaccines and the path that lies ahead. Both vaccines are now in Phase I clinical testing, the first step toward licensure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

​U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)​
​​American Society for Microbiology

RSS | iTunes | Armed with Science | On Twitter

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Armed with Social Science!

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Listen to the first Armed with Science show covering the Defense Department’s efforts to leverage social science.

Drs. Ivy Estabrook, program officer for the Human, Social, Cultural and Behavioral Science program at the Office of Naval Research, and Elisa Bienenstock, Chief Human Science Officer at NSI, Inc., will discuss the Defense Department’s efforts to understand how theoretical and methodological approaches from social science can benefit the warfighter. They will discuss several programs sponsored by the Director of Defense Science and Engineering that aim to refine and scale empirical, quantitative and computational methods to meet the needs of the Department of Defense.

Office of Naval Research
National Security Innovations

RSS | iTunes | Armed with Science | On Twitter

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Pentagon Channel Report on emerging technology at the Dept of Defense = John’s first Oscar nomination?

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

On Monday, the Pentagon Channel did a 3 minute special report on emerging technologies at the Department of Defense. Another special report? you ask yourself. Yes, another special report, except this one draws heavily from actual dialogue of the Armed with Science audio webcast, including an audio clip of last week’s guest, Dr. Mark Drapeau. In addition, the report provides a little more background on the nature of Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service that you’ve undoubtedly heard about and been annoyed by.

Even better is the very natural and comfortable scene in which my colleague, Jack Holt, shares some of the information he’s gathered from his Twitter account. The acting is captivating to the say the least, and it makes you completely forgot to ask why on earth I would be called into a colleague’s office to look at a Twitter post if the very point of having a Twitter account is to share information over the digital network known as “The Internets”?

That’s the power of quality acting. That’s the power of information sharing.

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Pentagon Channel report on Twitter at the Dept of Defense featuring me!

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Here is a special report on the use of Twitter at The Pentagon Channel. Interestingly, the Pentagon Channel has 102 Followers but has not actually followed anyone at this time. Is this an attempt to exploit the power of Twitter while defying the fundamental pillars of social networking?

Make sure to watch until the very end when I make my Pentagon Channel debut along with my colleague, Jack Holt. Notice the ease with which I hold the telephone. I studied for many hours. I would list The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Steel Magnolias, and all of the Saw movies as inspiration. I would also list The Leprechaun, but only because it’s funny to bring up The Leprechaun pretty much any time.

Also, because half of the video was filmed at my desk, you may notice your own Twitter handle appear during many of the screenshots. It’s fun to see if you can spot handles you know. I’ve seen @LindyKyzer, @Bjjackson, and @ArmedwScience.

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You’ve been SCIENCED by Bioephemera!

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Check out Bioephemera’s very thoughtful blog post about the Defense Department’s new audio webcast, Armed with Science, which I host every Wednesday at 2pm ET. In her post, she discusses this week’s interview with former AAAS Fellow, Dr. Mark Drapeau, a researcher at National Defense University’s Center for Technology and National Security Policy, who is studying how social technologies are impacting the way government agencies share information, collaborate, and communicate with the public. After reading her post, you should visit Pentagon Web Radio by clicking here and listen to our interview with Dr. Drapeau, as well as our previous shows. They are really interesting.

Bioephemera also mentions in her post the soon-to-be world famous send-off, “You’ve been SCIENCED,” but she incorrectly gives me credit for inventing the term. Indeed, I take full credit for bringing this phenomenon into popular culture, but it was Bioephemera herself who actually turned “science” into a verb. What a concept!

There is no limit to the number of ways in which you can use “science” as an action word. Feel free to come up with your own and post them in the comments section. Let’s try a few to get things started. This is fun!

“If you’re not busy for lunch, I’d like to science you.”

“I got scienced four times this morning on the way to work.”

“Science THIS!”

“Don’t mind him. He inadvertently sciences people all the time.”

“Stop sciencing me. No, seriously, I’m not kidding. Stop.”

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House Conservatives Fund website promotes me to Director of Neuroscience for DoD

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
I have worked hard in my academic and professional career to establish credibility and earn respect, build productive relationships with my peers, and motivate others to contribute their strengths. I hope these efforts will one day elevate me to a position of leadership in my chosen career. And, while I very much appreciate the honor bestowed upon me by the House Conservatives Fund website, I would like to make it unequivocally clear that I am not actually the DoDs Director of Neuroscience.

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Armed with Science Flash Player

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Check out this new flash player I downloaded from the Armed with Science page on BlogTalkRadio.com. You can embed your own flash player by visiting Armed with Science and clicking on the big icon to the right that says, “PROMOTE THIS SHOW”. You will be really happy with your decision.

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Armed with Science in Popular Science

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Despite doing no advertising, we managed to get picked up by Popular Science. Check out the article and all of its hyperlinked glory here.

Listening In on the DoD: A new military radio show probes science
By Laura Silver
Posted 02.05.2009

The Department of Defense has a new voice.

It’s a little tinny at times, but the twice-monthly web radio show, “Armed With Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military,” packs an informational punch. And it’s not just targeted to stealth-bomber savants and jet propulsion professionals.

In the latest 22-minute episode of “Armed With Science,” Navy hydrographer Michael Jeffries details his work on underwater surveys and nautical charts. And of course, tides. His focus is global.

That information is just a drop in the bucket. To find out more, listen to Episode #2: Hydrographic Surveys and the Fleet Survey Teams or download a full transcript.

The show has been in the works since last summer, says Lieutenant Jennifer Cragg of the New Media Directorate of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Defense Media Activity. Cragg is one of the show’s alternating co-hosts, along with John Ohab, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA and is currently an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the Department of Defense. But don’t let all those fancy titles scare you away. “Armed With Science,” originally conceived of by Cragg and Robert Freeman of the U.S. Naval Observatory, is designed to showcase Web 2.0 and modern military contributions to science.

“Part of our agenda is to use these new media tools and test them,” says Cragg.

It seems to be catching on, and not just within the armed forces. After the first show, there were something like 3,000 downloads and we had not promoted it anywhere,” says Jack Holt, the Chief of New Media Operations for Defense Media Activity. That was on January 14. Holt says there’s been a total of 7,400 downloads since, from blogtalkradio.com and iTunes. “Armed With Science” also has a phone component. Listeners can pose questions on a live call-in line, (866) 588-9257.

Future episodes will demystify SONAR and crack open the cranium as part of Brain Awareness Week (March 16-22, 2009, in case your neurons hadn’t registered that).

“Armed With Science” hits the web radio waves again on Wednesday, February 11 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, with a cool focus on monitoring Arctic ice.

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