Unprofessional Engineering

We were joined by the amazing up and comers of Trifecta Sports Solutions to understand what they are doing to make sports safer for us to play, starting with football helmet design and expanding out to other concussion heavy activities. Their story started with a high school design competition and has spiraled into working with outstanding universities such as Michigan State University to make thi...

An injury that anyone can get from playing sports to a little trip and fall, concussions have been a huge topic of conversation over the past handful of years, but what do we really know about them? Join us for this three part series with Trifecta Sports Solutions on what concussions are, the leading causes, symptoms, various ways to evaluate and classify them, and what we are doing to help reduce...

Transistors are the unsung hero of modern technology, and the rate that they are improving (or at least were improving) is astonishing! We take a look back at the first transistors developed by companies such as Bell Labs and Texas Instruments, all the way up to modern transistors in use by companies like AMD and Intel.

Model railroading has been a popular hobby for decades, but have you thought about all the forms of engineering that go into it? What a great way to get kids interested in STEM and STEAM! We were luck enough to be joined by President of Walthers (the leading name in model railroading), Stacey Walthers Naffah, to discuss the connections between model railroading and engineering, the history of mode...

If you're talking about companies that built the world, Carrier better come to mind!! Air conditioning has improved our daily lives, making gross states like Florida more livable as well as helping things like indoor ice-skating rinks possible. But technology like this doesn't just show up!! Willis Carrier had to come up with it all on his own, and we're glad that he did. Learn all about the life...

Are you looking to go to college for engineering but don't know which field? Are you a Plastics Engineering and curious if you are getting paid enough? Maybe you just want to know what a Plastics Engineer does. We have all this information and more! From the best Plastics Engineering universities in the world, to classes you'll take, how much you'll get paid, and examples of Plastics Engineers in...

One of the greatest inventors of all time, Thomas Edison did more than just invent the light bulb and assembly line. Kidding!! He didn't invent either, though he is often credited for these things. As great of an inventor as he was, he was also a savvy businessman, figuring out how to manufacturing the light bulb in a more cost effective way to mass produce it and get it into houses around the wor...

Do you ever pull up to the pump and realize that only has diesel fuel? I hate that!! But do you know why some vehicles run on diesel instead of gasoline? We look into the advantages and disadvantages of both engine types and look at how they operate, investigating everything from spark plugs to air fuel mixtures.

Depending on where you live, water towers may be a big part of your life. New York City, for instance, has a ton of water towers on top of their buildings which serve a number of purposes, not the least of which is to help with fire protection. In this episode, we take a look at the history of water towers, the various components and designs, what role they play in our daily lives, and how they ac...

The Periodic Table of Elements is full of amazing things, from the material properties of the various elements to where they can be found in nature, if at all. In this episode of Unprofessional Engineering, we take a look at some of the most uniquely named elements, both those that sound like they are named after superheroes as well as countries! Sit back and enjoy this little bit of science and f...

One of the many tools in the engineering tool belt, Finite Element Analysis (or FEA)is the process of simulating the behavior of a part or assembly under given conditions so that it can be assessed using the Finite Element Method (FEM). That doesn't clear things up for you? How about this: FEA breaks 3D CAD models into tiny parts to understand if they are going to break. Like if Luke sits on a cha...

How cool would it be to come up with an invention that is so important that someone ends up naming their company after you? That's exactly what happened with the great inventor we are looking into in this episode, Charles Goodyear. Yup, he didn't start Goodyear what-so-ever!! But his invention of vulcanization was so crazy important that Frank Seiberling started the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Compan...

We all know BMW for their cars, and maybe have even heard about their time in the aerospace industry, but they have offered a lot more to the world over their existence. Join us to explore the history of BMW, how they got their start, the impact of the World Wars on the company, and even their time spent making pots and pans!

We were joined once again by our friend Greg Paulsen of Xometry, this time to discuss distributed manufacturing and the many advantages it brings, especially during a global pandemic. Not sure what distributed manufacturing is? Don't worry! We didn't really know either, and that is probably because Xometry is basically the one who invented it. If that doesn't catch your interest, I don't know what...

If you are thinking about getting into engineering, curious about job growth, wondering if you are getting paid enough, or just like listening to guys talk about engineering, this episode is for you! We are looking into what Industrial Engineering is, the classes you would take in university, the typical job functions performed, and anything else related to the field. Sit back and enjoy! Who knows...

As we continue our series on the greatest inventors, we looked way back and found our good friend and long time listener, Archimedes! From the Archimedes' Principle to the Archimedes' Screw (he sure like to name stuff after himself, huh?) he truly changed the world. His understanding of geometry, pulley systems, and levers are still the basis of theoretical and physical work to this day.

Do your cookies spread when you're baking them? Does your bread fail to rise? Do you get domed cakes even though they are flat in the oven? This is all because you don't understand the engineering behind baking! We're taking a look at one of our favorite hobbies to better understand how engineering can be used to improve our baking game. From understanding what yeast is doing, to learning about le...

Are you in the market for a new TV? Luke is!! So you know what that means; we're doing an episode all about the best new (and old) television technology out there. We explain the difference between TV tech such as LCD, LED, OLED and more, while looking at the pros and cons of each. Find out which option gives you the best bang for your buck and where televisions might be headed in the future.

We might be missing out on the 2020 Summer Olympics, but your friends at Unprofessional Engineering are here to fill that void. We're taking a look at the physics and engineering behind some of your favorite Olympic sports, including track, the long jump, pole vaulting, and more! Take a few minutes and learn how some simple match can help to set world records.

Do you want to have the greenest grass on the block? We walk through everything that you should be doing with your yard, from the right way to mow the lawn to dethatching and aeration. Give us 30 minutes and we'll give you everything you need to have a perfect lawn.

Making your old home more energy efficient might seem like a daunting task, not to mention extremely expensive. We're here to help you to prioritize your home improvements to get your home more energy efficient with many simple fixes, as well as help you to understand where you will get the most bang for your buck on upgrades. If you're thinking about upgrading to energy star appliances, replacing...

Machine learning is all over the tech news, but do you know how it works, how it impacts your every day life, or what it even is? We look into the different methods of machine learning such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning to figure out how things work, as well as discuss how companies like Yelp, Netflix, Google and more are using machine learning to improv...

The giant stone heads of Easter Island have been surrounded in mystery since they were discovered. Why were they created? How were the made? How did these massive stone statues get moved all over the island? We take a look at the history of Easter Island, why the native people created the stone statues in the first place, and investigate the theories and attempts to recreate the moving of these st...

Are you thinking about going to college for computer engineering but want to know what it is they do? Maybe you're looking for a new job and want to make sure that your pay is competitive. We look into all things computer engineering, explain the differences between computer engineering and computer science, list out the top universities in the world, and more!

Admit it, you have at least one piece of IKEA furniture. Who doesn't love the fun of putting the various pieces together by themselves, throwing out "extra" parts, and then realizing that you still need them. But how is this furniture manufactured at such a reasonable price? We take a look at how IKEA and others mass produce flat pack furniture, discuss the materials used, how the products are des...