Techtopia with Chitra Ragavan

Techtopia with Chitra Ragavan


Latest Episodes

Ep. 20 — How the Department of Defense is acting like venture capitalists to draw in and nurture startups and adopt the best of the best in technology / Daniel Borkhus Co-Founder and CEO, Holos; Jeremy Neilson, Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force; an
September 22, 2021

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been on the forefront of some of the biggest technological innovations in history. At the same time, the so-called, defense industrial complex that is, DoD,

Ep. 19 — A Veteran CIA Operative Looks Back on the Early Days of the War in Afghanistan and the Implications of the Recent Pull Out / Michael Hurley, Former CIA Operations Officer & Senior Counsel and Team Leader 9/11 Commission.
September 09, 2021

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, the frenetic U..S. pullout of Afghanistan under dangerous conditions has reopened the wounds of those strikes and once a

Ep. 18 — A War Photographer Assesses the Ramifications of the U.S. Pullout of Afghanistan / Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist. 
August 25, 2021

As the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates with shocking speed, tens of thousands of Americans and Afghan citizens — who’ve worked closely with Americans over the past two decades, are confronting p

Ep. 17 — The Global Race to Secure 5G Networks Against Cyber Threats from China and other Geopolitical Adversaries / Rob Strayer, EVP, Information Technology Industry Council & Former Ambassador for Cyber Policy at U.S. State Department.
August 11, 2021

The world’s wireless systems are going through a major technology transformation through fifth-generation cellular networks — known as 5G for short. In addition to lightning-speed downloads for your s

Ep. 16 — The Abracadabra of the FDA’s Surprise Approval of Biogen's Alzheimer’s Drug, Aduhelm / Dr. Robert Pearl, Physician, Author, Podcast Co-Host, “Fixing Healthcare,” & Joanne Silberner, Freelance Health and Science Journalist.
July 29, 2021

Ever since the disease was recognized more than 100 years ago, patients with Alzheimer’s, and their families and caregivers, have longed for an effective drug for this brutal and tragic disease. - But

Ep. 15 — This sports startup is transforming the world of track and field data analytics for athletes, coaches, and fans / Chris Williams, Founder, and CEO, Zelos.
July 14, 2021

For decades, like in many other sports, track and field athletes and coaches have been stymied by their inability to easily use analytics to help athletes reach their highest potential, with their per

Ep. 14 — The ABCs of NFTs and their role in digital journalism and the creator economy / Zach Seward, Co-founder & CEO, Quartz.
July 08, 2021

Over the past seven months, non-fungible tokens or NFTs have captured the world's imagination and hype cycle, especially after the digital artist known as Beeple sold an NFT, which is a blockchain-ver

Ep. 13 — The Exoplanet Revolution, Technosignatures, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence / Adam Frank, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Rochester.
June 30, 2021

  - After decades of secrecy, the US Government last week shared a new report about unidentified flying objects or UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence. The bottom line: more stud

Ep. 12 — A 64-year old non-fiction book, Flying Saucer Pilgrimage, has new resonance today in light of an upcoming U.S. government report on UFOs / Bryan Cunningham, Executive Director, UCI Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute.
June 22, 2021

UFOs are back in the news. After decades of secrecy, the American public and especially UFO-believers are waiting for a report from the Defense Department to Congress this month. The report is expected to reveal what our military, law enforcement,

Ep. 11 – How Covid-19 is reshaping cities and smart cities / Michael Proman, Managing Director, Scrum Ventures.
June 08, 2021

COVID-19 virtually overnight changed the tone, tenor, and texture of cities, bringing the global economy to a slow grind and forcing people to retreat into bubbles, silos, and pods, and remote work — connected mainly through social media and Zoom. -