Rocks for Jocks

Today, we're sharing a conversation with Laura Huepenbecker. With notable contributions to several professional movie and podcast productions, Laura continues to be a leader in the environmental media space. We talk about Laura’s experiences on a farm set for 3 years, soil research, and sheep pupils!

Alex jumps into the third and final part of his summary and review of Stephen Hawking's 'The Theory of Everything’. Lecture 6 covers the concept of time using thermodynamic, psychological, and cosmological arrows. Lecture 7 explores the search for a unified theory and its philosophical impacts (we promise no more big words). Cover image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin, Public dom...

In this episode, I dabble in lectures 3 through 5 of Stephen Hawking’s book, ‘The Theory of Everything’. We are talking Hawking’s shocking explanations of stars, black holes, and the Big Bang! Hawking tells a joke about the pope. I explain surface area using a baseball as an analogy — sports! I even ruminate briefly on how I imagine an infinite universe.  00:00 Intro 00:54 Lecture 3 09:13 Lecture...

In this episode, I interview Adel Asadi, PhD, who talks about his journey from Iran to Stanford University. Adel shares details from his academic career, including his achievements in mining, machine learning, and geohazards. He also offers a glimpse into his ongoing postdoctoral work and entrepreneurship at Stanford. 00:00 Introduction and Education  04:28 PhD Research: mining, remote sensing, ge...

In this episode of 'Rocks for Jocks', I recap and discuss the first part of Stephen Hawking's book 'The Theory of Everything'. The book, despite its brevity and easy-to-understand language, has a lot information to go over. In this episode, I get through lectures 1 and 2 out of 7. 00:00 Overview & key takeaways of 'The Theory of Everything' 02:38 Lecture 1 06:45 Lec...

Today I explore the main impacts of climate change, a topic often covered in introductory earth science courses. I also talk about the basics of greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane, explaining how they trap heat and alter global weather patterns. 00:00 Defining Climate and Change 01:53 Major Impacts  06:04 Major Causes 10:46 Greenhouse Gases 13:02 Final Thoughts Sources: https://www.climate.gov/...

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Christina, a PhD candidate at Tufts University. We talk further about Christina’s dissertation, the challenges she faced, and advice for rising engineers. 00:00 Christina's Dissertation 04:13 Fragility Functions & Empirical Data 08:48 Project Hurdles 16:14 Future Plans & Advice 23:56 Final Thoughts

In this episode I interviewed Christina Sanon, a Civil & Environmental Engineering PhD candidate at Tufts University. Christina discusses her academic journey, how concrete is used in structural engineering, and her research with earthquake damage data. We talk some specifics about Christina’s methodologies, including remote sensing, the preservation of time-sensitive data, and using machine l...

This episode reviews the recent 4.8 magnitude New Jersey earthquake, its causes, and its implications. I also discuss a few other topics, including tectonic plates and fault lines, the rarity of significant earthquakes on the US East Coast, and different earthquake measurement scales. 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Tectonic Plates and Fault Lines 02:30 Intra Plate Events 03:26 Frequency and Magnitude Re...

In this episode, we discuss Marshall's graduate school projects in seismic site response and geotechnical engineering. In his projects, Marshall studied Mexico City's seismic response after the 2017 earthquake, then extend the application of his findings from Mexico City to New England. We also discuss F-naught, Vs 30, the publication process, and the practical applications of Marshall’s f...

In this episode, we discuss Marshall's life ranging from his academic journey to work with trail crews in the White Mountains. We talk about Marshall’s scientific accomplishments and his eventual career path in geotechnical engineering. Lastly, we discuss Marshall’s graduate school experiences, focusing on statistics, mentorship, and practical applications in the professional world. 00:00 Reco...

This episode takes us on a journey through the history of early astronomy, from ancient astronomers observing the night sky to celestial sphere models. Using chapter 1 of "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" by Timothy Ferris, I discuss the evolution of scientific models, including the details and fabrications of Ptolemy. I consider the changing nature of theories and the endless possibiliti...

In this episode I give an overview of plate tectonics by explaining their movements and characteristics. I discuss the different types of plate boundaries, the formation of mountain ranges and volcanoes, and the evidence supporting tectonics, including paleomagnetism, earthquakes, and the distribution of fossils.  00:33 Understanding Tectonic Plates and Their Movements 02:11 Exploring Plate Bounda...

In this episode, I introduce my recently published paper, mostly completed during graduate school, titled “National Liquefaction Loss Database and Event-Level Fragility Functions”, published in the journal, Earthquake Spectra.   My goal is to simplify and explain the scientific concepts behind the paper, starting with the basic understanding of liquefaction as a natural phenomenon and its impact o...

Today we’re discussing an article called “Mining through the Valleys of Death” by the newsletter, Climate Tech Venture Capital. The article goes through topics including the importance of mining in the transition to renewable energies, highlighting the increased demand for rare earth elements, and the impact on supply chains. The article also touches on the concept of the 'valley of death'...

An interview with my friend, Aidan, about his work in academia and research. Our conversation covers Aidan’s academic and professional journey, starting from his high school years where he showed an interest in biology, to his experiences in college, graduate school, and his work in the professional world. Aidan shares insights about his research work in disease processes, his time in a lab during...

A chat with with Brian about his experience and passion for film and media, as well as his work in marketing for a plumbing company. Brian discusses his approach to content creation, including video testimonials, education videos, and the impact of AI and technology on the film industry.

Part 2 of a conversation between two friends, Alex and Colin, discussing Colin's career, academic background, and his experience in the venture capital industry. We also talk about the importance of finance education, entrepreneurship, and the role of venture capital in funding startups.

A conversation between two friends, Alex and Colin, discussing Colin's career, academic background, and his experience in the venture capital industry. We also talk about the importance of finance education, entrepreneurship, and the role of venture capital in funding startups.