Voices from DARPA

The Sea Changer: Episode 96

As the landscape of naval warfare changes, traditional defense methods like large convoys and standard object recognition are becoming impractical. New, scalable solutions are needed to help U.S. Navy Sailors identify maritime threats, track potential targets, and safeguard the massive commercial and military logistics vessels that form the backbone of global trade and defense. In this episode, we speak with Christopher Kent, a program manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office. With a background in naval architecture and as the former Deputy Chief Engineer for the Department of the Navy, Kent came to DARPA to solve real-world problems. He shares his work on developing innovative technologies that provide a new layer of security for vessels at sea as well as other parts of the battlefield, including: Pulling Guard: A semi-autonomous, unmanned system towed behind a ship that acts as a dedicated mobile sentry. It can detect and neutralize threats, providing military-grade protection to commercial vessels without the insurance and regulatory burdens of arming the host ship itself. Heimdall: Advanced tracking software, inspired by human vision, that can lock onto and follow potential threats in cluttered and chaotic environments. Originally designed for maritime use, this technology has proven so effective that the U.S. Army is also adopting it for ground-based defense systems.

The Accidental Chemist: Episode 95

What new capabilities can we unlock by understanding how to rearrange the building blocks of matter? At some time in our lives, most of us have learned that matter is made of molecules, molecules are made of atoms, and atoms are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons. But what’s less commonly learned is what’s going on inside those atoms and molecules, such as when a bond breaks or internal components are rearranged through a chemical reaction. In this episode, we sit down with Keith Whitener, Ph.D., a program manager in DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office (DSO), who discusses the inner workings of reaction mechanisms and how atoms and molecules behave at the smallest possible levels. In this episode we discuss how key mentors influenced Keith’s career as a physical chemist, how his stent as a Jeopardy champion connects to his DARPA work, and how his DARPA program portfolio tackles some of the military’s largest operational and logistics problems: SeREne: Aims to make explosives safer to handle and tunable on the fly HNO3: Aims to eliminate a supply chain risk by enabling high-efficiency production of nitric acid directly from air and water ExCURSion: Aims to bypass fuel supply line challenges by generating energy at point of need ExPEDitions: Aims to create a new chemistry for electrically rechargeable batteries to have both the power and energy density of carbon-based fuel As promised, you can match wits against Keith by reading through a fan-created archive of Jeopardy appearances, including all the questions and answers for the episodes in which he competed. Music in this podcast episode includes an excerpt of “Tuesday (Groove)” composed by Keith Whitener, available on his legacy personal website.

The Economics Aficionado: Episode 94

What if we could turn economic complexity into strategic understanding? In this episode, we sit down with David Rushing Dewhurst, Ph.D., a program manager in DARPA\'s Information Processing Techniques Office, IPTO. Dewhurst works at the complex intersection of economics, data science, and national security to develop tools that help America navigate a world where economic competition has become a primary battlefield. Dewhurst shares his unconventional path to the agency and takes us through two of his programs: Anticipatory and Adaptive Anti-Money Laundering, A3ML: An innovative program that aims to eliminate global money laundering by treating it as an economic supply-and-demand problem, while preserving privacy through a decentralized approach. National Security Economic Theory, NASCENT: A program focused on establishing a principled theoretical foundation for geoeconomics and building generic playbooks for economic statecraft. Tune in to discover how Dewhurst is redefining the tools of economic statecraft to prevent pan-domain strategic surprise.

What's in a Name? Episode 93

What does it take to solve the world's most urgent national security and economic challenges? At DARPA, it starts with questioning past assumptions. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of a major organizational pivot to hear directly from the office leaders driving the change. We unpack the "why" behind the new names on the doors of two tech offices: The Multi X Office (MXO): Formerly the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), MXO is breaking down the walls between physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science. Learn how this integrated approach aims to secure critical supply chains and build resilient physical capabilities. The Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO): Reaching back to a legendary name from DARPA’s history, the former Information Innovation Office (I2O) is focusing on the first principles of computational power and resiliency that will be required to invent the next forward-looking breakthrough technologies for national security. Listen in to hear how DARPA is retooling its strategy, embracing massive scale, and transforming its structure to secure America's future. MXO IPTO Smash Promethean Clay Crystal Palace IPTO history

From Cold Call to Critical Care: Episode 92

BTO Program Manager Lt. Col. Adam Willis, M.D., U.S. Air Force, joins Voices from DARPA to share his remarkable journey from a ROTC physics major to a leading innovator in military medicine. Dr. Willis discusses how a desire to apply science to help people led him down the dual paths of a Ph.D. in theoretical and appliled mechanics and a medical degree with a focus on neurology. He recounts the moment a demonstration of the DARPA-funded Revolutionizing Prosthetics program sparked his interest, leading him to cold-email a military doctor and future mentor, Col. Geoffrey Ling, who gave him a simple, life-changing piece of advice. In this episode, Dr. Willis explains his work on groundbreaking programs like Golden Hour Evacuation (GOLDEVAC) and Making Anatomical Sense of Hemorrhage (MASH), which aim to revolutionize battlefield medicine by bringing critical care capabilities directly to the point of injury. He details his vision for an "ICU in a box" and autonomous surgical tools that could save countless lives when evacuation to a surgeon isn't possible. He also shares his unique perspective as a "Rosetta Stone," translating complex medical challenges into the language of physics and engineering to find novel solutions.

From Blockbuster to Biotech Breakthroughs - Episode 91

It started with a movie. It led to a mission. In this episode of "Voices from DARPA," we sit down with Michael Feasel, Ph.D., a program manager in the Biological Technologies Office, to discuss his extraordinary journey to the forefront of American innovation. From a pre-med student who found his calling in an inorganic chemistry class, to career inspiration from a Nicolas Cage film, Mike's path was anything but conventional. He shares how a chance Thanksgiving conversation launched his career in chemical and biological defense, and how he was later recruited to DARPA. Mike offers a unique look inside the agency, detailing the challenges of managing programs far outside his initial expertise and the incredible impact of fostering world-changing ideas. Discover the story behind his Protean program, which aims to revolutionize how we counter chemical threats, and hear his reflections on what makes DARPA a one-of-a-kind place for innovators. Related Content: DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center ABC Hermes RIDDL

A DARPA Debrief - Episode 90

What happens after you've worked on projects that could change the world? We go beyond the cutting-edge technology and "secret labs" to explore the most vital part of DARPA's mission: its people. Six former Program Managers discuss their experiences and what comes after a tour of duty at the agency. They share their initial anxieties, the challenges of working on projects outside their expertise, and the unique culture of support and urgency that defines DARPA. Discover how they transitioned from the agency back to the private and public sectors, and how their time at DARPA continues to shape their careers and the future of technology www.darpa.mil/careers

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AIxCC: AI Cyber Challenge - Episode 89

The AI Cyber Challenge, AIxCC, marks a pivotal inflection point for cyber defense. Numerous attacks in recent years have illuminated the ability for malicious cyber actors to exploit vulnerable software that runs everything from financial systems and public utilities to the health care ecosystem. AIxCC Competitors successfully demonstrated the ability of novel autonomous systems using AI to secure the open-source software that underlies critical infrastructure, with winners revealed at DEF CON 33. Hear from DARPA and ARPA-H on the game-changing results the competitors achieved. And although the competition is over, the challenge continues. All seven finalist teams’ CRSs have been made available as open-source software under a license approved by the Open Source Initiative. Hear from teams on their experiences through the competition and how they are moving their systems to the real world. LINKS: Competition website Finalist teams Open source archive Information Innovation Office ARPA-H Resilient Systems Office

The Idea Pollinators: DARPA Service Chiefs Fellows - Episode 88

The Service Chiefs Fellows connect their operational insights with potential DARPA breakthroughs. We explore DARPA’s Service Chiefs Fellowship Program (SCFP), a 12-week immersive experience that brings together participants from various backgrounds across the Department of Defense (DOD) and other U.S. agencies. Its dual core purposes are to educate future leaders from military services and other agencies, helping them "infuse some of the DARPA magic into their home base," and to inform DARPA program managers and performers, many of whom lack military or government backgrounds, about the mission and the needs of current warfighters. This blending of ideas fosters new connections and can even lead participants to return to the agency, as exemplified by Rob McHenry, DARPA's current Deputy Director and the agency’s first Service Chiefs Fellow. As part of DARPA’s broader strategy to engage the U.S. military and other U.S. government partners, the SCFP helps ensure vital ideas take root and flourish where they are most needed. Service Chiefs Fellowship Program webpage Biological Technologies Office (BTO) Information Innovation Office (I2O) Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) Dr. Michael Feasel (BTO program manager) Commercial Strategy Office

Racing on the Edge - Episode 87

RACER enables off-road vehicles to travel autonomously and reliably at high speeds over cross-country terrain, enabling new capabilities for our warfighters. Since the DARPA Grand Challenge kicked off more than 20 years ago, the Department of Defense has been very publicly invested in creating the capabilities necessary for ground vehicles to travel autonomously in areas without roads, signs, maps, or even GPS signals. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Stuart Young, who leads the Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program, which is creating platform agnostic autonomy capable of operating in complex, mission-relevant, off-road environments that are significantly more unpredictable than on-road conditions. We also speak with Dr. Trent Mills, a Colonel in the U.S. Army and special assistant to the DARPA director. Mills shares a warfighter perspective on what the Army has learned from RACER, and how autonomy is being integrated into the way the Army prepares and thinks about future engagements. Check out videos from earlier experiments to better envision what testing looks like in the field: RACER Experiment 4 – Heavy Platform Highlight Video RACER Experiment 4 – Cockpit view of an autonomous off-road run in TX RACER Experiment 3 – Highlight video In the interview, Young shares: The importance of real-world experimentation and testing How the RACER program has evolved over its time How performers on RACER have spun out innovative companies to accelerate bringing new capabilities to the warfighter The confluence of technologies that have made off-road autonomy viable What edge case scenarios RACER is still exploring and trying to solve, and what success means for the program

BETR to BEST - Episode 86

What do smart bandages, ocean-powered sensors, and quantum biology have in common? They’re all part of Dr. Leonard Tender’s work at DARPA. On the latest episode of Voices from DARPA, he discusses his fascinating research in the Biological Technologies Office and how these innovations are shaping the future of national security. Bioelectronics for Tissue Regeneration (BETR) BioElectronics to Sense and Treat (BEST) ReSource BioLogical Undersea Energy (BLUE)

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More than Microchips - Episode 85

Microelectronics are the foundation of technology today, but what about tomorrow? Ten years from now? Twenty? Real breakthroughs don’t come from simply refining what already exists—they come from reimagining what’s possible. In this episode, Dr. Whitney Mason, Director of DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), takes us inside the research that is pushing microelectronics beyond conventional thinking. She explores the potential of organic circuits to revolutionize computing, not by replacing existing technology, but by opening entirely new frontiers in electronics design. From assessing the potential of quantum computing to novel material innovations that could redefine performance and efficiency, MTO is driving advancements that go far beyond conventional chipmaking. Dr. Mason also shares her perspective on how DARPA’s risk-taking culture enables groundbreaking discoveries, and why the speed of innovation is critical to maintaining U.S. technological advantage. She discusses MTO’s focus on next-generation manufacturing approaches that integrate best-of-breed materials to achieve disruptive performance leaps. By moving beyond traditional microelectronics and embracing unconventional ideas, MTO is working to create the future of technology—one where microelectronics aren’t just smaller and faster, but smarter, more resilient, and capable of things we have yet to fully envision. Show notes and links: Dr. Whitney Mason Microsystems Technology Office Voices from DARPA Episode 42: The Infrared Visionary Voices from DARPA Episode 72: The Quantum Mechanic QBI: Quantum Benchmarking Initiative AMME: Additive Manufacturing of MicrosystEms NGMM: Next-Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing Episode 85 posting date: January 31, 2025

Episode 84: Hackable Code & the Formal Fix

U.S. national security depends on an aging IT infrastructure that supports a vast network of systems spanning the globe. Over the past three decades, traditional security practices—like virus scanning, patching software, and intrusion detection systems—have led to a landscape of vulnerable systems. The Department of Defense is no exception, where legacy IT systems and even the most advanced fighter jets and weapons platforms are susceptible to exploitable weaknesses. But this doesn’t have to continue being our reality. In this episode of Voices from DARPA, we explore the agency’s groundbreaking work on revolutionizing software development. At the forefront of this transformation is the use of formal methods—a powerful, mathematical approach that ensures robust security and guarantees the absence of vulnerabilities in software systems. Join experts from DARPA and its strategic partners as they explore how these cutting-edge tools are reshaping the security landscape and paving the way for a future where vulnerabilities are not just minimized but provably absent—across the U.S. military and beyond. Show Notes · Current DARPA programs leveraging formal methods: o AI Quantified (AIQ) o Assured Autonomy o Assured Micropatching (AMP) o Automated Rapid Certification of Software (ARCOS) o Intrinsic Cognitive Security (ICS) o Pipelined Reasoning of Verifiers Enabling Robust Systems (PROVERS) o Provably Weird Network Deployment and Detection (PWND2) o Safe Documents (SafeDocs) o Verified Security and Performance Enhancement of Large Legacy Software (V-SPELLS) · High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems (HACMS) overview, research paper, and Little Bird demo video · National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Workshop on Secure Building Blocks for Trustworthy Systems (segment at 7:23:49) · Voices from DARPA Episode 51: The Cybersecurity Sleuth, featuring former DARPA program manager, Dr. Sergey Bratus · DARPA Forward: Engineering Secure Information Systems video presentation

Episode 83: When Should Machines Decide?

What characteristics make a person trustworthy? Under what circumstances would a person delegate life or death decisions to artificial intelligence (AI)? Does it matter that AI systems reflect trustworthy humans’ decision-making preferences, morals, and ethics? If so, what characteristics are most important? These are some of the fundamental questions DARPA researchers are exploring for the In the Moment (ITM) program, which aims to support the development of algorithms that are trusted to independently make decisions in difficult domains, particularly in significant trauma events such as battlefield triage. DARPA’s research has identified the need for fundamentally different approaches to advance AI technology to a place where we’re willing to trust it and not be foolish to do so. Continuing themes from our mini-series on ELSI – ethical, legal, and societal implications of new technologies and capabilities – we meet with DARPA’s ITM program manager, Dr. Patrick Shafto, and the ITM performers and ELSI advisors, who break down how they’re tackling the fundamental question of alignment in the context of human decision-makers and autonomous decision-making tools. In case you missed them, check out our previous ELSI series episodes at the following links: Episode 79: Integrating ELSI Episode 78: Introducing ELSI Our special thanks to the following ITM performers and advisors for their contributions to this episode (in order of their appearance): · Alice Leung, RTX BBN · Joseph Cohn, SoarTech · Matthew Molineaux, Parallax Advanced Research · Arslan Basharat, Kitware Inc. · Jennifer McVay, CACI · Dave Cotting, Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) · Sarah Daly, IDA · Lauren Diaz, University of Maryland Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) · Ellie Tyler, ARLIS

Episode 82: Acquisition Awesomeness

Accomplishing DARPA’s mission of creating and preventing strategic surprise is as much a business challenge as it is a technology challenge. In this episode, team members from DARPA’s Contracts Management Office – Office Director Effie Fragogiannis and Deputy Director Catherine Stevens, along with Senior Advisor Scott Ulrey – explore what it takes to innovate contracting processes and mechanisms to enable the development of breakthrough technologies at the speed of relevance. From DARPA’s pioneering work with Other Transactions, to fast-pitch proposals, to the exploration of previously unrealized authorities, hear how the agency is breaking down the barriers of government contracting, providing companies a clearer path to the national security mission. Links: Acquisition Innovation Collaborative Disruption at DoD – Kathleen Hicks – American Dynamism Summit Acquisition Innovation: From Other Transactions to Fast-Pitch Proposals Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Other Transactions Guide DARPAConnect

Episode 81: DTC - Revolutionizing Triage

In this episode, Dr. Jean-Paul Chretien and Elissa Rupley from our Biological Technologies Office provide an exciting update from the recent DARPA Triage Challenge (DTC) workshop at the Guardian Centers in Perry, GA. The DARPA Triage Challenge, or DTC, aims to drive breakthrough innovations in identification of “signatures” of injury that will help medical responders perform scalable, timely, and accurate triage. Of particular interest are mass casualty incidents, in both civilian and military settings, when medical resources are limited relative to the need. We also hear from Alix Donnelly, from the U.S. Army's Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) and some of the participating DTC Team Members on their experience thus far in the competition. There are still opportunities to get involved – listen to learn more! Links: DARPA Triage Challenge Dr. Jean-Paul Chretien bio DTC Workshop 1 highlight video DTC YouTube Playlist

Episode 80: Decentralizing Chemistry

In this episode, Dr. Vishnu Sundaresan from our Defense Sciences Office highlights several technology programs designed to precisely control chemical processes to enable distributed, small-batch manufacturing of chemical products while retaining efficiencies of large-scale industrial production. Colloquially calling this portfolio “decentralized chemistry for everything,” the concept aims to shift the paradigm from a few centralized production facilities producing medicines in large batches and requiring a costly purification process, to direct manufacturing of pure pharmaceuticals via desktop printer-sized machines that would create — at the push of a button — doses of a variety of medicines whenever and wherever needed. Such a revolutionary capability — if successful — would circumvent brittle international chemical supply chains and would serve military members deployed in remote locations as well as benefit rural civilian communities. Sundaresan describes programs aiming to achieve elements of this vision: Spin-COntrolled chemical Process Engineering (SCOPE), Recycling at the Point of Disposal (RPOD), and Establishing Qualification Processes for Agile Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (EQUIP-A-Pharma). Listen to Sundaresan describe his journey to becoming a DARPA program manager, the fascinating world of controlling electron spins, and the ethical, legal, and societal challenges of preparing the market for such revolutionary tech.

Episode 79: Integrating ELSI

In this episode, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into ELSI – ethical, legal, and societal implications of new technologies and capabilities – and specific examples of how DARPA programs have incorporated those considerations into their structure. We’re highlighting three examples of how DARPA integrated ELSI throughout the program lifecycle via the counsel of experts from the medical, scientific, legal, and ethics communities to assist program managers and performers in identifying and mitigating any potential issues. The first program, out of our Biological Technologies Office, is Safe Genes, which supported force protection and military health and readiness by developing tools and methodologies to control, counter, and even reverse the effects of genome editing—including gene drives—in biological systems across scales. The second program, Urban Reconnaissance through Supervised Autonomy (URSA) from our Tactical Technology Office (TTO) aimed to enable improved techniques for rapidly discriminating hostile intent and filtering out threats in complex urban environments. And, finally, the current In the Moment program in our Information Innovation Office (I2O) seeks to identify key attributes underlying trusted human decision-making in dynamic settings and computationally representing those attributes, to generate a quantitative alignment framework for a trusted human decision-maker and an algorithm. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYSbEnamSDA iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-from-darpa/id1163190520 Show notes and links: DARPA currently is seeking applicants for the 2025 ELSI Visiting Scholar. The deadline to apply is June 3, 2024. Voices from DARPA Episode 78: Introducing ELSI : https://blubrry.com/voices_from_darpa/132452728/episode-78-introducing-elsi/ ELSI History: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231976/ [quoted in Roberts, 1989]. Highlighted Programs: In the Moment (ITM): https://www.darpa.mil/program/in-the-moment Urban Reconnaissance through Supervised Autonomy (URSA): https://www.darpa.mil/program/urban-reconnaissance-through-supervised-autonomy Safe Genes: https://www.darpa.mil/program/safe-genes Safe Genes Publications: Interdisciplinary development of a standardized introduction to gene drives for lay audiences https://bmcmedresmethodol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12874-020-01146-0 A typology of community and stakeholder engagement based on documented examples in the field of novel vector control https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0007863#:~:text=The%20typology%20names%20three%20types,and%203)%20engagement%20to%20involve. Codes https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/crispr.2020.0096 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abd1908

Episode 78: Introducing ELSI

As a global leader in innovation, DARPA starts an average of 50 new programs each year. These programs span a variety of technical disciplines to develop breakthrough technologies for national security, all of which have the potential to raise ethical, legal, and societal implication – or, ELSI – considerations. Taking time to consider ELSI’s role in a program can contribute to the responsible development of emerging technologies by guiding innovation, maximizing the potential application space, and facilitating dialogue with future end-users, and the public, to ensure diverse perspectives and implications are considered. It can improve research by fostering conversations that identify unknowns, anticipate consequences, and make design decisions to maximize benefits and opportunities and minimize risks and harms. In this episode of Voices from DARPA, we’ll hear from DARPA Director, Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, to explain the agency's perspective on those implications, as well as Dr. Bart Russell, deputy director of the Defense Sciences Office, on what it would mean to incorporate ELSI across the agency more formally. Finally, Dr. Rebecca Crootof, DARPA’s inaugural ELSI Visiting Scholar, will discuss her journey to the agency and her approach to developing a process to ensure that ELSI can inform — and even improve —DARPA programs. That sounds like a lot of responsibility, influence, and potential impact – for some, maybe, too good to be true? Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies at DARPA DARPA currently is seeking applicants for the 2025 ELSI Visiting Scholar. The deadline to apply is June 3, 2024. Origin of the term ELSI: Three decades of ethical, legal, and social implications research: Looking back to chart a path forward The piece references a class from Dr. Oona A. Hathaway

Episode 77: Meet DARPAConnect

Good ideas can come from anywhere, but what is the best way to find them, or help them find you? In 2022, DARPA hit the road in pursuit of the answer. Comprising six regional events, DARPA Forward took the agency across the country to engage untapped talent and strengthen the nationwide innovation ecosystem. The event series offered a powerful lesson in breaking down barriers of entry in pursuit of national security breakthroughs. To sustain this momentum, DARPA launched DARPAConnect, an initiative that aims to further broaden the agency’s reach and foster greater collaboration with underrepresented, diverse, and nontraditional institutions new to the national security space. In this episode of Voices from DARPA, we’re taking a deep dive on DARPAConnect, talking with several of those involved in the initiative to get a sense of how it all works. We’ll explore its goals, its offerings, and what success looks like at DARPA, home to some of the biggest – and riskiest – bets on U.S. technological innovation. DARPAConnect website: https://www.darpaconnect.us/home