Unprofessional Engineering

If you look out your window right now, you'll probably be able to see a tree of some sort out there somewhere. Depending on the time of year, it might be full of beautiful green leaves, or under the right conditions, you could be looking at a rainbow of autumn colors in front of you. But do you know why a tree's leaves change colors? There is a lot of science that goes into this process, and the e...

Blacksmithing has gone from the backbone of medieval towns to an artisan craft revitalized over the past few years. We have looked into the history of blacksmithing, from the rudimentary crafts done thousands of years ago, to the development of the first nail, and now to the modern take on this ancient profession. In addition to the history of blacksmithing, we discuss the very basics to get you s...

If you want to get into engineering but don't know where to start, our "What Is" series is for you. In this episode, we focus on one of the newer engineering degrees, biomedical engineering. A combination of biology and engineering, this is a perfect fit for someone who doesn't know if they want to be an engineer or a doctor! Sure, you don't get paid like a doctor, but you don't have to go to coll...

Do you want to have some fun with your kids while teaching them something as well? You've come to the right place! We have gathered up some of our favorite science experiments that you can do at home while teaching important STEM principles. From instant freezing water to a baking soda volcano, making your own rock candy and watching water walk, you'll have hours of fun and education that can easi...

When two robots step into the ring, or roll in, or are placed their by their designers, one thing is for certain; only one will come out victorious!!! Unless there is a tie, then I guess neither robot wins. That isn't the point!! The point is that there is a new contestant on Discovery's hit show Battlebots, Riptide! Not only is Riptide a force in the ring, but their engineering skills with the su...

What do the flying car, the Stanley Steamer, and the Titanic all have in common? These inventions were all ultimately responsible for the death of their inventors! We have gathered up some of the most interesting, and often times extremely sad, instances of an inventor being killed by their inventions. Whether it was the result of an unknown side-effect from groundbreaking research, as in the case...

It is time for more crazy units of measure! A dash, a pinch, a shake... they are phrases that we use, but they all have actual measurable amounts to quantify them. Join us for the second part of our Wacky Units of Measure series (is two a series?) to learn about some of the craziest units of measure that have ever been invented, most of which are actually in use today.

Depending on where you live, you might feel that the Metric system or Imperial units of measure are rather strange, but those don't even scratch the surface by a BB, or even a Gillette! In the first of two episodes on wacky units of measure, we explore some of the craziest measurements around and how they originated. From the beard-second to the micromort, there is a standard unit for just about a...

Hewlett-Packard, perhaps better known as simply HP, has taken an interesting journey to get to where they are today. We might know them for their laptops and printers that never seem to work when we need them to, but this wasn't always the way for Hewlett-Packard. William Hewlett and David Packard (picking which name came first on a coin flip) started the company with a drill press and a few dolla...

On April 15, 2019, one of the world's most recognizable structures, the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, caught on fire, suffering significant damage. A restoration project has been underway ever since, with hopes of the cathedral reopening in some capacity by 2024. We dove in to try and understand what caused the fire to start in the first place, the hurdles that have to be overcome in the Notre Da...

Wheat is a common ingredient in many of our favorite foods, and although it is easy to head to the store and pick up a loaf of bread or a doughnut, the grain production process isn't as simple. The wheat production process, when boiled down, hasn't changed a lot over the centuries. Threshing, winnowing, and grinding all still occur, but to do so on a large scale is really where technology and engi...

When it comes to engineering, the material that you choose goes a long way in how your design is going to function. The same holds true for the materials used in our favorite movies, video games, and books! Even if they don't exist in real life... We've decided to explore some of the amazing materials that exist in some of these fictional universes that we could only wish exist here on Earth, and...

When you think about Apple, obviously you think of Steve, right? No, not that one. Steve Wozniak, lovingly known as Woz. You have probably heard of Woz, but do you know how important his role with Apple was? Some might argue that he was more important than his more well known counterpart, Steve Jobs. Sit back and enjoy this brief walkthrough of Steve Wozniak's life (thus far), how he got started w...

There is a lot of debate about GMOs being healthy, as well as if GMOs are actually a sustainable method of food production. We're not here to debate if they are good for you or not (science has no conclusive evidence to say they are not), but we are here to discuss what they are, how they work, the method to make it happen, and the impact that GMOs are having on the agriculture industry!

What do the names Andrew Carnegie, Elbert H. Gary, Charles Schwab, and J.P. Morgan have in common? They are the key players in the creation of US Steel! With the acquisition of the Carnegie Steel Company in 1900, together with a number of other smaller steel operations, US Steel was formed, becoming the first billion dollar corporation in United States history. Join us to learn about the history o...

We have talked about nuclear reactors and how they work, nuclear fission and fusion, and maybe even some nuclear weapons, but what happens to all of that nuclear waste once it is no longer needed? Well, there really isn't a solution just yet, but it is being worked on! Fortunately for us, the amount of nuclear waste around the world is relatively small. Currently, it can be stored in large storage...

Are you thinking about a career in engineering or just curious what they do all day long? You've come to the right place! In this episode, we explore Marine Engineering, including the best universities to attend, how much money you will make, who will hire you, and more! Come on-board (see what we did there?) to learn more about this niche, yet very interesting, option for engineers.

I'm sure everyone realizes that there is all sorts of oil underneath the ocean, but do you know how we manage to get that oil out without getting all of the water, sand, and other stuff along with it? We've taken a look into how deep-sea drilling works, from satellite imagery to understand where the most oil can be found to the process of extracting it from the ocean floor. Take a listen to better...

As an engineer, you probably know Texas Instruments (TI) as the maker of your favorite calculators in the world, such as the TI-85. Who doesn't love expensive graphing calculators that help make difficult math easy? Well, maybe not easy, but slightly easier. It turns our that calculators are only a small part of what Texas Instruments does! In fact, they are one of the top 10 semiconductor produci...

Wireless electricity isn't all that new. In fact, our old friend Nikola Tesla proved that it could be done in the 1800s! Was it done well? No. Was it done safely? Not really. But wireless electricity was possible!! That is all starting to change! In fact, New Zealand is about to start testing out wireless electricity to provide power to a remote island 19 miles off shore! Energy provider, PowerCo,...

We often mention the colleges and universities that are doing great things for STEM, but it isn't every day that we get to talk to one of them to understand how they are changing the way their students learn to help them excel in the field. That is where Dan Brateris comes in. Dan is the Director of Experienced Based Learning at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark College of Engineering...

As we continue exploring the lives of the world's great inventors, we've made it to George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak. Or Kodak. Or Eastman... well, you get the point. Although he didn't start inventing as early as some of the inventors that we have looked at, but a trip to Santo Domingo with heavy photography equipment was all it took to get him started. From there, the rest is history! Jo...

What if I told you that there is a nearly endless source of nearly clean energy available for the world to use? It sounds too good to be true, right? Well, that's because it is. But fusion reactors could make that change very soon! Currently only achieved in any large capacity in stars, we decided to look into how nuclear fusion reactors work to better understand just how close we are to making th...

Most of us are never more than a couple of feet away from our cell phones, if even that far. Many of you could even be listening to us on your cell phone right now! But it wasn't really all that long ago that a car phone was crazy cool technology, and pay phones were a much needed device. We explore how the cell phone came to be, going all the way back to Zack Morris and his sweet brick phone, up...

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Where else can you travel the city on a romantic gondola ride and not be troubled by things like cars, traffic, bicycles, or really any other form of transportation? But all that beauty comes with a price. Thanks to being built almost at sea level, coupled with plate tectonics and general ground compaction thanks to being built on top of pil...