ASME TechCast

Matt Ishler, associate director of career counseling at Penn State University, talks about what engineering students need outside of their core classes.

Engineer, consultant, and author Joshua Plenert talks about Lean Six Sigma and what makes the problem-solving mindset of mechanical engineers uniquely suited for Lean Six Sigma.

Manufacturing has seen a resurgence over the last decade, and the adoption of digital technologies has transformed the industry. But now, engineering education must also adapt and find a way to ensure that the workforce of tomorrow has the right skills and can take full advantage of advanced manufacturing platforms. Tom Kurfess, professor at Georgia Tech and member of ASME's board of governors, di...

Engineer, consultant and author Peter Atherton talks about burnout and what makes mechanical engineers susceptible to this medical syndrome newly recognized by the World Health Organization.

The Earth's core provides a tremendous amount of heat. Tapping that heat to produce electric power or to use directly in industrial processes could be a way to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Jamie Beard, founder and executive director of Project InnerSpace, a geothermal advocacy group, discusses a recent report on the prospects for geothermal energy in Texas and elsewhere.

Caltech research scientist Austin Fikes talks about capturing solar energy in space with a satellite that would relay the power to Earth.

Sara Hendren, associate professor of arts, humanities and design at Olin College of Engineering discusses the importance of keeping engineering students engaged in social and ethical issues throughout their education.

Paul Fakes, director of ASME's government relations education and outreach programs, talks about engineering and science policy in a new Congress.

It’s been quite a year, and technology has been part of the headlines all 12 months. Listen as Mechanical Engineering magazine’s Jeffrey Winters and John Kosowatz discuss their top engineering stories on 2022 in this special edition of ASME TechCast.

An electrical grid reliant on renewable power will require building new transmission, distribution, and storage capability, often in places that have layers of existing infrastructure. Nabil Hitti, the vice president of U.S. Offshore Wind for National Grid Ventures, talks about the enormous promise of offshore wind power in the New York region and the challenge of building the energy infrastructur...

David Wrenn, the SpinLaunch's head of engineering, talks about the novel kinetic system developed to hurl satellites into space.

Beyond Precision Agriculture

The climate impact of long-distance air travel is more substantial than most people realize. But the power requirements of jetliners are difficult—if not impossible—to meet without resorting to kerosene-based jet fuel. Writer Michael Abrams discusses the paths that researchers and entrepreneurs are exploring to develop a greener form of aviation and describes some fixes that could reduce the warmi...

As more people around the world move from the countryside to cities, the climate effects of urbanization become increasingly important. One of these is the urban heat island effect, where unshaded concrete and asphalt absorb sunlight and radiate heat, warming the surrounding areas by several degrees. Moncef Krarti, a professor at the University of Colorado and an expert on urban heat islands, disc...

Rockwell Automation’s John Miles talks about electric vehicles and how to charge them, along with upskilling the current workforce.

Greg Boerschig heads TVA’s Clinch River nuclear project. He talks about TVA’s nuclear options and the development of small modular nuclear reactors.

The Jetsons promised viewers from the 1960s and beyond that the future would see robots that could cook, clean, and basically run the household. However, developing those sorts of multi-capable robots for real households has been a challenge. Writer Kayt Sukel discusses the promise and future direction of this field.

In the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European nations declared their intention to find alternatives to Russian natural gas. One nation that could become a strategically important supplier of gas to Europe is the United States, which has more gas than it can use thanks to the exploitation of its shale gas reserves. Energy economist Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute for P...

Battelle’s Neeraj Gupta talks about the state of carbon capture and sequestration.

The International Space Station has been the main site of human exploration in orbit for the past 20 years. Crews have been shuttling back and forth for missions as short as a couple of weeks or as long as a year. But the ISS can't last forever. Matt Ondler, chief technology officer and director of spacecraft development at Axiom Space, a space hardware and services company in Houston, discusses t...

 Doug Gudenburr, COO of DMI Companies, talks about the manufacturer's digital transformation.

In North America, wind power has been developed almost entirely on land, often 1,000 miles or more from the power-hungry Atlantic coast. But it turns out that there’s an even better, even windier place that’s much closer to the New York City–the waters off of Long Island. Listen as Georges Sassine, vice president for large-scale renewables at the New York State Energy Research and Development Auth...

NREL’s Greg Stark talks about hydropower’s impact on the evolving electric grid.

With electric vehicles receiving so much popular culture love and governmental support, could the days of the internal combustion engine be numbered? Kelly Senecal, co-author of the book, Racing Toward Zero , contends that despite the rush to mandating EVs, there are many use cases where ICE- and hybrid-powered vehicles make the most sense. In this episode, learn about how we power cars and trucks...

Self-driving cars are some of the fastest and smartest computers today. They are equipped with advanced cameras, lidar, smart sensors, machine learning, and AI-voice recognition software. However, an autonomous vehicle cannot operate alone. Secure and smart infrastructure is needed to support these robots on wheels. Kevin Vincent, director of the Center of Connected and Autonomous Automotive Resea...