Lexicon by Interesting Engineering

While we’ve all heard of the existence of supercomputers, quantum computing seemed like a distant dream even a decade ago. Now it is fast becoming a reality.  In this episode, our guest Lawrence Gasman has been working in the tech industry for nearly forty years and compares this new era to when computers were just hitting Radio Shack, and new standards were emerging for a rapidly-growing sector....

Many of us struggle with the concept of quantum computing: what it is, what it does, and how it works. So who better to explain it in plain language that our guest this week, Dr Shohini Ghose? Shohini is a theoretical physicist and Professor of Physics and Computer Science at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. She is a pioneer and trailblazer for woman in science, founding the Laurier Centre fo...

The concept of 3D printing was born in the 1940s and 1950s, but it did not become a commercial reality until the 1980s. Back then, a 3D printer would set you back a few hundred thousand dollars, even at 1980s prices.  In more recent years, the growth of the Additive Manufacturing sector has led to more affordable and reliable 3D printing technology, with applications in healthcare, manufacturing a...

When it comes to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), sometimes light years from Earth, how do you even know where to start?  Our guest this week is Jason Wright, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, and an expert in SETI. If there is intelligent life out there, he and his colleagues are best-placed to be able to find it.  We asked him about where it all started,...

As the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to observe the universe in unprecedented detail, its findings are challenging the models we have used to understand how galaxies are formed.  Our guest this week is Mike Boylan-Kolchin, an associate professor of astronomy at The University of Texas, Austin. Mike’s research focuses on theoretical astrophysics and cosmology, including galaxy formati...

How can you take the principles and methodology from mechanical engineering and apply them to healthcare? From prevention and diagnosis, through to cure, mechanical engineering can help clinicians achieve better results in a number of ways. Having spent much of lockdown conducting research into making a table-top mobile vaccine printer for his PhD, our guest this week, Dr Morteza Sarmadi, is a gre...

Are you unhappy with your job search results? In this episode, IE caught up with Nader Mowlaee, an engineer turned career coach, who shared some insights on: how to pivot your career path to secure your future; how to change your job search strategy during a recession in a highly competitive job market, and; what it takes to design a better lifestyle and career that you are satisfied with every da...

Back in January, Kyle Monson began a 90-day trial of using ‘AI Interns’ as part of his creative team. Part publicity-stunt, part serious experiment, Kyle wanted to see how his teams could incorporate the use of tools like ChatGPT, Bard and Midjourney to assist with creative work, experiment, learn, and have some fun.  In this episode, IE caught up with Kyle to find out what he had learned, and whe...

Join us in this episode of Lexicon as we delve into the mysterious world of processor architecture and examine how RISC-V, an open standard, is shaking up the industry dominated by major tech companies. Learn about the implications of architecture choice for our devices and the potential benefits of a more open and accessible processor ecosystem.

In this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Willian Santos, International Sales Manager at ABI Electronics, about the fight to repair industrial electronics. Santos advocates for a shift away from the "replace-not-repair" mentality, which contributes to the growing issue of E-waste. He highlights the importance of promoting a repair mentality to reduce waste, lower emissions, and prese...

Tattoos are a prevalent form of expression in ancient and modern societies, but the molecular composition of many mainstream tattoo inks is hard to find. A team of researchers is exploring ways to reveal the composition of popular inks, and their findings could help improve understanding of how tattoos interact with the body. In this episode of Lexicon, we sit down with Dr. John Swierk, an Assista...

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects around five percent of the general population. A method of treatment, known as transcranial magnetic stimulation, could help patients manage the disorder and find ways to improve their daily lives. Here's how it would work. Sanne van Rooij is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Studies at Emory University. She has a back...

Was there ever oxygen on Mars? An experimental study in December 2022 revealed it’s not likely, as part of research that could reveal more about whether life on Mars is possible. As entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and others chart a course for a city on the red planet, Lexicon takes a look at what awaits the future visitors.

Motors are driving the zero-emissions race to electrification, but what if we could make them smaller and more efficient? David Calley, who spoke to Lexicon at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, is one entrepreneur working on the issue. His company, Arizona-based Elemental Motors, is digging into more efficient designs that could offer five or more times the torque density than comparably-sized motors. It cou...

What if you could 3D-print food? A team at Columbia University has experimented with printing dough, meats, vegetables, sweets, made a seven-ingredient slice of cheesecake, and chicken samples that were then cooked by lasers. In this episode, researcher Jonathan Blutinger explains why 3D-printed food could transform cooking, and when listeners may be able to buy one of the printers for their home.