Lexicon by Interesting Engineering

How can you take the principles and methodology from mechanical engineering and apply them to healthcare? From prevention and diagnosis, through to cure, mechanical engineering can help clinicians achieve better results in a number of ways. Having spent much of lockdown conducting research into making a table-top mobile vaccine printer for his PhD, our guest this week, Dr Morteza Sarmadi, is a great person to ask.

Are you unhappy with your job search results? In this episode, IE caught up with Nader Mowlaee, an engineer turned career coach, who shared some insights on: how to pivot your career path to secure your future; how to change your job search strategy during a recession in a highly competitive job market, and; what it takes to design a better lifestyle and career that you are satisfied with every day.

Back in January, Kyle Monson began a 90-day trial of using ‘AI Interns’ as part of his creative team. Part publicity-stunt, part serious experiment, Kyle wanted to see how his teams could incorporate the use of tools like ChatGPT, Bard and Midjourney to assist with creative work, experiment, learn, and have some fun. In this episode, IE caught up with Kyle to find out what he had learned, and whether he planned to take Aiko and Aiden on full-time. 

Join us in this episode of Lexicon as we delve into the mysterious world of processor architecture and examine how RISC-V, an open standard, is shaking up the industry dominated by major tech companies. Learn about the implications of architecture choice for our devices and the potential benefits of a more open and accessible processor ecosystem.

In this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Willian Santos, International Sales Manager at ABI Electronics, about the fight to repair industrial electronics. Santos advocates for a shift away from the "replace-not-repair" mentality, which contributes to the growing issue of E-waste. He highlights the importance of promoting a repair mentality to reduce waste, lower emissions, and preserve valuable resources. Tune in to learn more about the benefits of repairing industrial technologies instead of replacing them.

Tattoos are a prevalent form of expression in ancient and modern societies, but the molecular composition of many mainstream tattoo inks is hard to find. A team of researchers is exploring ways to reveal the composition of popular inks, and their findings could help improve understanding of how tattoos interact with the body. In this episode of Lexicon, we sit down with Dr. John Swierk, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Binghamton University, to discuss the chemistry of tattoo ink. Whether you’re a tattoo enthusiast or just curious about the science behind the ink, this episode is sure to educate and fascinate you.

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects around five percent of the general population. A method of treatment, known as transcranial magnetic stimulation, could help patients manage the disorder and find ways to improve their daily lives. Here's how it would work.Sanne van Rooij is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Studies at Emory University. She has a background in psychology and neuroscience, and completed a PhD with the Dutch military's mental health center working with veterans.

Was there ever oxygen on Mars? An experimental study in December 2022 revealed it’s not likely, as part of research that could reveal more about whether life on Mars is possible. As entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and others chart a course for a city on the red planet, Lexicon takes a look at what awaits the future visitors.

Motors are driving the zero-emissions race to electrification, but what if we could make them smaller and more efficient? David Calley, who spoke to Lexicon at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, is one entrepreneur working on the issue. His company, Arizona-based Elemental Motors, is digging into more efficient designs that could offer five or more times the torque density than comparably-sized motors. It could power robots, industrial applications and eVTOLs, paving the way for improvements in mobility.

What if you could 3D-print food? A team at Columbia University has experimented with printing dough, meats, vegetables, sweets, made a seven-ingredient slice of cheesecake, and chicken samples that were then cooked by lasers. In this episode, researcher Jonathan Blutinger explains why 3D-printed food could transform cooking, and when listeners may be able to buy one of the printers for their home.