Unprofessional Engineering

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 understand why this extremely expensive process can still make a company big money, as well as some big money for the people working on the oil rigs.

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 producing companies in the world, with analog chips and embedded processors accounting for over 80% of their revenue. Join us to learn all about how Texas Instruments got started, what else they do other than make amazing calculators, and of course, war time connections!!

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, is teaming up with the startup Emrod to make this happen. Take a listen to learn how these companies are going to make wireless electricity safe for us to use, as well as what the technology is behind this engineering marvel.

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). Under his supervision, NJIT has become a leader in STEM education, running a massive makerspace, participating in Baja SAE, Aero SAE, robotics clubs, and more. All of these have helped to make NJIT a top choice for those looking at a degree in a STEM field.

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! Join us to learn how George Eastman launched his photography company, how Kodak changed the the camera game forever, and what some of their biggest contributions to photography were throughout the years.

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 this a reality. Take a listen to learn how lasers and magnets are being used to get us closer to the reality of nuclear fusion, and how this will change energy production forever.

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 to 5G and even 6G, if you believe that to be a thing.

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 pillars in a swamp, Venice is at risk of being under water in the not so distant future. Learn what Venice is doing to help this problem, such as the MOSE floodgate system, why the problem exists in the first place, and what the impact of MOSE and other solutions could be. Warning, it involves poop!

Samsung makes nice TVs, some refrigerators, and a few other things, right? Well, that is true, but they are so much more, and Samsung's start was nothing like the electronics giant that they are today. Join us to learn about how Samsung went from a glorified grocery store to a well diversified super-company with divisions in electronics, electro-mechanics, SDI, SDS, and even Samsung Corning Advanced Glass!!

Everyone loves pizza, and if you don't, you can just stop listening to us. But just because one loves pizza, it doesn't mean that we know how to engineer the perfect pizza pie! We explore the engineering behind why brick oven pizzas are superior to the oven sitting in your kitchen, what temperature it should be at for the perfect crust crisp to melty cheese ratio, which cheeses are better for pizza, and so much more!! Sit back, grab a slice, and learn about why some pizza is just that much better than others.

Although they are less common in the United States these days, the manual transmission is still relied on by most of the world, and some consider to be much more fun to drive. But what is the difference between a manual transmission and an automatic? We take a look at how a manual transmission works, discuss gear ratios, how the car goes in reverse, and the pros and cons of a manual versus an automatic. Get ready to put it in 7th gear with this episode!!

When it comes to the biggest brains of all time, you can't have a conversation without mentioning Albert Einstein. His theories are still being proven and validated to this day, and his understanding of time and matter is considered to be unparalleled. We've taken a look at Albert Einstein's life, from his childhood, to his education, how he came up with his theories, and the part he played in ending World War 2. Oh, and did I mention that he married his cousin?! Take a listen to this quick breakdown of one of the smartest people of all time, Albert Einstein.

Lasers are awesome! I mean, you can get a cat to chase them around on the floor, or you can shine them into the sky to make things look pretty. What more could you want? Oh, something useful?! Yeah, they do that as well! Take a listen to better understand the history of lasers, different types, and how each of them work and can be used to improve our lives.

Everyone has a favorite building that they like to look at while on a walk or driving down the street, right? But then there are some that blow all other buildings away!! Luke and James go through their personal top 10 buildings in the world, focusing on architecture, engineering complexity, or just stuff that Luke likes because it is easier than coming up with actual reasons. Join us as we explore the top 10 buildings of the world, which is actually more like the top 20, but that doesn't sound as good.

The railroad industry might not have started in America, but the USA certainly played a HUGE part in it's history, peak, downfall, and reemergence. We look into how the railroad industry grew, from animal drawn carts to the cross-country lines we have today, as well as how people made big money from a near monopoly on the rail industry and the resulting sanctions placed on it by the government. Sit back in your luxury passenger car and enjoy this quick history of the rail industry!