Unprofessional Engineering

What were you doing as a kid? Walking to Detroit to get a job in a machine shop? Yeah, I didn't think so. Did you ever run a company for Thomas Edison and bounce your ideas off him to make sure they were ready for the real world? Yup, didn't do that either. I'm sure you made the first affordable automobile (not the inventor of it) though, right? OK, let's agree that Henry Ford was probably better...

Do you have a great idea in your head but aren't sure how to turn it into a reality? Or fear that you don't have the right background to make it a success? We've teamed up with Scot MacTaggart, creator and host of The Pitchwerks Podcast, to break down the common misconceptions about starting a business. In just 30 short minutes you'll be more confident in your ability for success, but also have a...

Volcanoes sure do look cool...and cause all sorts of destruction. But believe it or not, there is more to how they work than sacrificing people to keep them from erupting! In this episode we'll walk you through the various types of volcanoes, what causes them to erupts, lava vs magma, the most famous volcanoes throughout history and even some safety tips in case you find yourself stumbling into an...

We all know about Elon Musk and his companies like Tesla and Spacex (we even did another episode all about him...check it out!), but have you heard about his Boring Company? It is just that...boring! Seemingly closely tied to his talks about the Hyperloop, the Boring Company is going to be creating tunnels under the ground of a city near you! These will be used for a high speed public transportati...

So, let's put this out there... the same guy that designed the Eiffel Tower also created the supporting structure for the Statue of Liberty. Is your mind already blown!?!? Don't lie and say you knew that already. If that wasn't enough for you, this episode walks you through the painstaking process that the French used to create the Statue of Liberty, why it took so long to build, and even why it i...

The history of the submarine dates back as far as Alexander the Great and continues to be one of the most fascinating pieces of military technology there is. When you add in the fact that many of the worlds subs are now nuclear, things get even more interesting. We'll walk you through the history of submarines, advantages and disadvantages of diesel and nuclear, some amazing facts about the worlds...

Yeah, yeah... he wasn't exactly an inventor, but he sure had an amazing mind! And "the machine" that he used was nearly as impressive as him. We'll walk you through the life of Stephen Hawking, his work with black holes, 15 published books, thinking in 11 dimensions (whatever that means) and his roles on Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons.

Are you graduating from an engineering program soon and worried about landing that first job? Who better to listen to about tricking someone into hiring you than two guys that have done it a number of times?! We'll break down when you should use a cover letter, what sections of a resume you should include, how much detail to go into, if that less than perfect GPA is going to come back to haunt you...

Encryption has been around long before we needed to keep our intellectual property safe on computers. The Spartans used basic encryption technology as far back as 2,700 years ago, and the Germans are well known for the invention of the enigma machine, used for passing military information during the World Wars. We will walk you through the most compelling encryption uses, especially the Ovaltine s...

One of the biggest mysteries on Earth is how ancient civilizations managed to move 25-ton stones to build Stonehenge. Was it from the introduction of ball bearings, moving them by water, or something more likely such as magic or aliens? Another question is what was Stonehenge created for? A burial ground? Celestial temple? Alien landing pad? All these theories and more are looked at in this episod...

Do you have a favorite pair of jeans that you always wear? Maybe you're like Luke and only change your jeans once a month. Yeah, gross. If you happen to be wearing a pair of Levi's, you're basically walking around in a part of history. We not only take you through the history of Levi's jeans and how Levi Strauss (sort of, but not really) created them, as well as the process jeans go through to get...

Everyone knows about the plans that NASA and SpaceX have for getting us to Mars (mostly because we already explained that to you), but did you know that NASA also has been playing with the idea of colonizing Venus? No, not on the extremely hot surface of "Earth's twin," but floating 50km in the clouds. That's right! Floating Venus cloud cities! Yes, I know it should be Venusian, but SEO likes the...

Let's look at the facts: Bill Nye has his BS in Mechanical Engineering, just like me. Bill Nye hosts shows that educate young and old alike about science and technology, just like me. Bill Nye is extremely funny, just like me. We're practically the same person, so does that make me a "science guy" as well?! I think not!! But if you dig a little bit deeper, there is a lot more to Mr. William Sanfor...

Can you remember a technological marvel that you thought would never be replaced, and the next thing you know it was obsolete? We're taking a look at some of the most amazing technology that changed the world, yet is now nothing more than an afterthought. Some of the items we discuss include: Encyclopedias, CRT TV, watches, answering machines, typewriters, the postal service, steam engines, pay ph...

The world's population is going to exceed 10 billion by 2050. Yeah, that's a lot, and we don't have enough food to feed all these mouths! Fortunately for us, there are a lot of smart people out there creating ways to solve this problem. Vertical gardening in giant warehouses, underwater growing bubbles, vertical farming of kelp, scallops, and other delicious seafood and even traditional food alter...

What is the history of chocolate? Where does chocolate come from? How was it made? Why Valentine’s Day? Will we ever run out? Is it really good for you? We'll answer all these questions and more today on Unprofessional Engineering.

Another great inventor, another college drop out. Then again, it looks like the drug aided spiritual journey worked out for Steve Jobs, as nearly everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. From starting Apple, to helping Pixar become a reality and resurrecting Apple from an all-time low to new heights (after they basically kicked him out as CEO), this man was successful.

Do you remember watching Total Recall and thinking, "we'll never live on Mars." Well, we might not, but that doesn't mean that humans won't. In fact, we're probably a lot closer to making it happen than you think. Our friends at SpaceX think they will be sending humans to Mars in just 6 years, and NASA is planning on doing so in under 20. All that being said, what is it going to take to make Mars...

There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to the different units of measure, but let's be honest, there's a wrong answer. All of 3 (or so) countries use English units which are confusing and hard to convert, and the rest of the world uses the same metric system. How could they all be wrong?! We walk you through the history of units of measure, how the English system showed up, why the French...

Have you ever wondered how satellites stay in orbit around the Earth? Or how they are able to communicate from thousands of miles away? Or what happens to them after they are no longer functioning or needed? We have all these answers and more! Take a listen to a brief history of satellites, what they are made from, how many are floating around us (literally) and more!

Everyone knows that the Earth is a sphere, right? Not so fast! There is a small, but vocal, group of people out there that believe the Earth is flat. Yup... fall off the edge flat. But don't worry, there is a big ice wall circa Game of Thrones holding in our oceans and keeping us safe. We're walking you through exactly what the flat Earthers believe to be the truth, how NASA is guarding the wall,...

Are you looking for a sure-fire way to become a millionaire over night? Well bitcoin mining is not for you! In fact, it is likely that you won't even make any money doing it. But that doesn't mean that the craze is over. There are still tons of other cryptocurrency options out there, or even mining pools that you can get into to still dig for bitcoin if you're interested. We're walking you through...

There has been so much amazing engineering in 2017 that it is hard to remember it all, but lucky for you, we're doing all the work! From things as simple as healthy ice cream, to IoT, all the way to Tesla and SpaceX and NASA heading to Mars again, it has been a great year! Sit back and enjoy an amazing year in technology.

I think we can all agree that Santa is for sure, 100% real, but have you ever thought about the math behind his amazing journey?!? Here are just a few things for you to think about: How fast Santa's sleigh is traveling The amount of force against the sleigh exerted by Santa How many reindeer it would actually take to pull a sleigh carrying so many presents The caloric intake of all those cookies H...

After the huge success of How It's Made: Toys part one (talking about LEGO, Crayola Crayons, Etch-A-Sketch and Play-Doh) we're back with even more great toys! We answer what's inside Stretch Armstrong, walk through the epic story of the Super Soaker, talk about the wonderful toy that is the Slinky and teach you to make Silly Putty at home.