Technologically Speaking

Secondary Perils of Flooding

In this episode, host Deepak Saini is joined by Dr. David Alexander, Senior Science Advisor for Resilience. Dr. Alexander explains the interconnected nature of global climate change, local weather patterns, and the constant challenge of shoring up our critical infrastructure to withstand it all. You’ll hear about advanced modeling, smart sensors, and next generation materials designed to mitigate the deadly risks of flooding and be able to explain exactly what a compound flooding event is. And you’ll discover Dr. Alexander’s personal connection to Manhattan Project scientist Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. 

A Cat and Mouse Game

S&T Senior Science Advisor for Cybersecurity Donald Coulter talks about the vital role that cybersecurity plays in the safe operation of our digital world and in the design and conception of future products. He shares that the AI revolution is already happening, and it is just a tool, not something to fear. Cybersecurity, he explains, is about preserving the availability and integrity of systems, as well as preserving the confidentiality of the data they contain.

Without Question, This Technology Will Save Lives

If you’ve heard that familiar emergency alert sound blaring from your phone, you already know a little bit about what’s in store in this episode. Wireless Emergency Alerts are already helping keep people safe from nearby fires and floods; now, S&T is working to pair them with cutting-edge sensors to deliver warnings not just via mobile phones, but also through vehicles’ infotainment centers. We’re bringing you behind the scenes as S&T and FEMA tested the sensors and alerting capabilities this summer at a live demonstration of the Wildland Urban Interface Integration Model in Stafford, Virginia. More than 100 million people live within the wildland urban interface space and are at risk of wildfire—a stat that not many people know. Learn how these alerts are keeping you safe with S&T program manager Norman Speicher; Virginia Department of Emergency Management State Coordinator Shawn Talmadge; and Antwane Johnson, Director, Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems.

Almost Like You’re Watching a Video Game

C-THRU is a real-time, indoor visualization system that enhances firefighters’ situational awareness in low visibility environments. The technology is an augmented reality heads-up display that attaches to a standard helmet and makes it possible to “see through” dark, dense smoke. S&T and industry partner Qwake Technologies recently field-tested C-THRU with members of the fire service at the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department at the end of August—learn more about this exciting technology and find out what the firefighters had to say about it.

We Accomplished Some Really Amazing Things in a Really Challenging Time

In this very special episode of Technologically Speaking, listen as past and present S&T leaders recall the lifechanging impacts of 9/11, discuss how S&T came to be, and reflect on their personal legacies at the Directorate. You’ll hear everything from where they were when the Twin Towers fell and the increasing risk of chemical threats in S&T’s early days to the science and technology battling the COVID-19 pandemic and rise of artificial intelligence today. These eight leaders share their accounts of what it was like to helm a research and development agency in the face of some of the most significant national events of our time. 

Teaching Machines to Detect Explosives

The Developmental Test and Evaluation Alarm Resolution team at the Transportation Security Laboratory is using machine learning to verify the effectiveness of newly developed explosives detection solutions. This allows new and improved detection systems to be validated and certified more quickly and efficiently, with the goal of providing safety and security at checkpoints.

Invest In an A+ Team

Small businesses, particularly startups, provide a wealth of ingenuity and innovation when it comes to developing emerging technologies. Harnessing this is the powerful idea behind S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program, which hosted a Demo Week this spring with 30 startups, venture capitalists, and operational agencies in attendance. In this episode, join us as we talk with startups on the Tech Expo floor at the event—hear about the early days of the program and how these industry partners found success pursuing a nontraditional approach. Government officials and startups agree that tapping into this source of technology development yields major benefits for the greater homeland security enterprise.

Bring the Best You Have, Innovate and Push

In this Tech Speak mini episode, listen to the keynote address S&T Under Secretary Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov delivered at the July 6 commencement ceremony for the Master of Business Administration in Security Technology Transition program at George Washington University, an S&T Center of Excellence. Dr. Kusnezov addressed 26 mid-career federal employees, who not only were the first to complete the program but did it during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen as Dr. Kusnezov honors the graduates’ accomplishments and congratulates them on their monumental achievements.

Hydrogen Is How and Hydrogen Is Now

H2Rescue is a first-of-its-kind hydrogen fuel cell/battery hybrid vehicle and it’s an emergency truck like no other—a zero emission, self-propelled electric generator that may just be the future of disaster response. This project is a collaboration between the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Federal Emergency Management Agency, industry partner Accelera by Cummins Inc., and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. S&T Under Secretary Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk, S&T Community and Infrastructure Resilience Program Manager Ron Langhelm, and others joined the team behind the innovation in Washington, DC, to showcase H2Rescue—and we were there to get up close and personal with this impressive prototype.

Any Place Where People Congregate

The final episode of Technologically Speaking Season Two delves into the world of soft target security with S&T’s Ali Fadel. Host Dee Saini chats with Ali about what a soft target is (hint: check out the episode title), how S&T is collaborating with agencies at every level of government to keep venues and civilians safe, and promising new technologies being used to get the job done—including barriers recently deployed to Kansas City for the 2023 NFL Draft.