Armed with Science | Tag Archive

Into The Wild Blue Yonder Of Tomorrow

Filed under Scientific Military History, Videos by jtozer on March 24, 2013 at 7:22 am {no comments}

Introduced in 1978 as a multi-mission aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet was designed to be affordable in development and production, and even more importantly, affordable in life-cycle costs, where the key to success is improved reliability and maintainability.

These goals have been achieved by this proven platform that will serve our nation well into the 21st century.

Video provided by Naval Air Systems Command YouTube Channel

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Making Memories Out Of Decrypting Messages

Filed under Scientific Military History, STEM by jtozer on November 30, 2012 at 7:03 am {no comments}

Helen Nibouar, a SIGABA operator during World War II, reunites with the machine that 70 years ago brought her together with her friend, Marion Johnson, rear, at the National Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade, Md. (Courtesy photo)

Many intelligence analysts and historians contend the SIGABA cipher device is one of the most important encryption systems the U.S. military has ever known.

And during a recent visit to the National Cryptologic Museum, it was also a time machine.

The unusual contraption first brought two young cryptologists together during World War II, and nearly 60 years later it has reunited them, sparking memories of their critical work.

The National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Md., recognized Helen Nibouar and Marion Johnson during a ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling a new exhibit entitled, “60 Years of Cryptologic Excellence.”

“We not only break codes, but we make codes … and we stand on the shoulders of giants,” NSA Deputy Director Chris Inglis said of Nibouar and Johnson. “When we celebrate Marion and Helen’s return to the scene of their early work, we’re actually celebrating a long legacy of the history of the National Security Agency.”

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Discovering Lasers

Filed under Scientific Military History, Videos by jtozer on October 3, 2012 at 7:47 am {no comments}

Did you know that the word “laser” is an acronym? Seriously!

LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Well that was my first guess…But before we start talking about the future of lasers (hello phasers), let’s take a look at where it all began.

It’s development in 1960 still stands as one of the major breakthroughs of the 20th Century. Did you know that the groundwork for the laser took place in the early 1950s with the MASER; an AFOSR supported invention by the Nobel prize winning Dr. Charles Townes? See, we’re learning things already.

In this video, meet some of AFOSR’s supported engineers and scientists who continue to push the boundaries of scientific discovery!

Video provided by Air Force Office of Scientific Research

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Remembering Neil Armstrong

Filed under Featured, Space, Videos by jtozer on September 12, 2012 at 7:23 am {no comments}

History will remember Neil Armstrong, foremost, as the first human to step foot on another heavenly body. But his NASA family and many admirers worldwide will forever appreciate him for more than just that one, albeit world-changing, accomplishment.

Video provided by NASAtelevision

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A Hilltop in Foggy Bottom – Brother Against Brother & A New Mission

Filed under Scientific Military History, Videos by jtozer on July 17, 2012 at 7:30 am {no comments}

The home of the Old Naval Observatory (1844-1893) and the Navy Medical Department (1894-2012) is where many firsts in science and technology took place.

This is where the science of oceanography was born, where the moons of Mars were discovered, where the underwater path of the first transatlantic cable was plotted. This location played a key role in the Civil War, our first westward expansion, and in the development of military medicine.

In 1902, the Naval Observatory was renamed the Naval Medical School, and later became home to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery until it was closed through the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).

Videos courtesy of the Office of Medical History, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

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A Hilltop in Foggy Bottom: Light House In The Sky And Pathfinder Of The Seas

Filed under Scientific Military History, Videos by jtozer on July 16, 2012 at 7:10 am {no comments}

The home of the Old Naval Observatory (1844-1893) and the Navy Medical Department (1894-2012) is where many firsts in science and technology took place.

Videos courtesy of the Office of Medical History, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

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Museum Showcases Military Medical History

Filed under Featured, Videos by jtozer on June 3, 2012 at 7:15 am {one comment}

It’s a lot of the past mixed with much of the present. But then again, that’s what a museum is all about. What’s interesting about this one, however, is the fact that it’s all about tracking the health and wellness of our troops throughout the centuries.

From Civil War memorabilia to innovations of modern day, the newly reopened National Museum of Health and Medicine shows off an impressive collection of 25 million artifacts. The museum’s mission is to preserve and collect specimens of morbid anatomy and medical technology. These tools and artifacts will help researchers to understand the care of the soldier by tracking the history of medicine.

There might be no better way to track the progression of medicinal practices than through the history of the military soldier. From illness to injury, service members experience just about all of it, and researchers are learning new and innovative ways to treat medical issues by using our history as a guide.

Plus they have the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln.

Video provided by The Pentagon Channel

Looking for Uranium In All The Wrong Places

Filed under Life Sciences by jtozer on May 3, 2012 at 7:39 am {no comments}

Dr. Jose Centeno, director of the Joint Pathology Center’s Biophysical Toxicology and Depleted Uranium/Embedded Metal Fragment Laboratories, demonstrates the variety of shrapnel pieces removed from service members and veterans. (DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk)

Military doctors here are examining shrapnel taken from service members and veterans, looking for depleted uranium and other metals.

The Joint Pathology Center’s Biophysical Toxicology and Depleted Uranium/Embedded Metal Fragment Laboratories branch is analyzing the embedded fragments and providing second opinions at military and Veterans Affairs medical centers to treat those who had retained shrapnel.

“Our goal is to improve the care of wounded warriors,” said Army Col. (Dr.) Thomas Baker, interim director of the Joint Pathology Center, the umbrella organization for the lab.

“We advise [doctors] how to follow up and what treatment is needed” to mitigate the potential effects of uranium and other metals, he said.

The lab analyzes all combat-associated metal fragments taken from DOD personnel that might pose a long-term health risk, such as depleted uranium, which can contribute to kidney damage over time, Baker explained.

The lab also develops laboratory capabilities in metal toxicology to support the Defense Department, The Pathology Center and VA and Army programs that require exposure assessment to depleted uranium, embedded fragment analysis and analysis of certain metal alloys, officials said.

The only one of its kind in the United States, Baker said, the lab keeps a registry of the fragments for future re-evaluation. The register now includes 600 specimens.

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