Unprofessional Engineering

Are you interested in taking a trip into space? Maybe spend a week or two floating around the moon in a 5 star space hotel? Or just a quick flight up to feel what life is like without gravity? We might not be too far away! Companies like Blue Origin, Virgin and SpaceX (as well as many others) are well on their way to making space tourism a reality, and some are already sending people up for a quick trip. Interested in learning where it is all going, what options you will have in the next few years, and just how much it will cost? Take a listen!

One of the most important inventions of all time, the printing press has changed the world forever. From its humble beginnings in China, to the design of Johannes Gutenberg that we've all heard about, we wouldn't have the civil rights and freedoms we now have without it, or the wealth of books. Moving a little further into the modern era, we now have presses that can run thousands of pages per hour to keep up with the demand of newspapers and magazines. Sure, most people read them online now, but for some reason we still print them. Interesting in learning more about how it was designed, how it works and how it changed the world? Here you go!

Continuing with inventors we love, we've finally hit on a guy that was an amazing engineer and inventor but just terrible at marketing and entrepreneurship in general. Enter Nikola Tesla. Without him, we basically would still be living in the dark, or with a powerhouse ever mile to turn the lights on. Sure, he wasn't real good at the business side of things, and he did end up going crazy and talking to pigeons, but that doesn't mean he didn't have a huge impact on the world. Did I mention that he was thought to be working on a death ray as well?! Yeah, you'll probably want to learn all about his life right here.

In the third part of our civilization smack down, we head to ancient Egypt to see what type of engineering and technology that the Egyptians created for the world. Since we all know about how amazing the Sphinx is, and of course the Great Pyramid, we spend some extra time on their invention of paper, hieroglyphs, advanced mathematics, and some of their crazy complex tools for their time such as the tubular drill and lathe. We also discuss how they were able to make perfectly symmetric designs such as the statues of Ramses II. Curious how they stack up against the Aztec and Mayan civilizations? Take a listen!

In part 2 of our civilization smack down, we take a look at the engineering contributions of the Mayan civilization. Or is it Maya? Mayan? Hmm…well, whatever it is, they had some amazing engineering. One example would be the written language of the Mayans. Unlike English, it is created from 800 or so glyphs representing a syllable or word. Sure, this means most words could be spelled a few different ways, but how many languages have you created? They also nailed the 365 day calendar and created tens of thousands of paper books. Masters of hydrology and the blast furnace, in many ways the Maya were ahead of their time, even if they decided that the wheel was of no real value. Interested in learning more about their history? Take a listen!

Welcome to the civilization smack down!! Over the next 3 episodes, we'll be looking into how 3 great civilizations (Aztec, Mayan and Egyptian) contributed to engineering, the impact of their discoveries, and how they have withstood the test of time. The first civilization that we will look into is the Aztecs. Some of their notable contributions include: required education for all, advanced astronomy, the canoe, drills, and floating gardens. Want to learn more about what they created and what is left for us to go see? Take a listen!

Are you thinking about getting into engineering but don't know what flavor is right for you? The answer is simple: Mechanical Engineering. Sure, just because we are a couple of ME's might make us biased, but it does make sense. Job opportunity is high, pay is good, work is interesting...or at least it potentially can be. NASA, Boeing, SpaceX. They all need Mechanical Engineers! In this episode we break down what it takes to be a ME, looking through the courses you would have to take, the types of jobs you would land, the pay you could expect, and settle the debate once and for all that ME is the superior engineering degree.

If you haven't been living in a cave for the past decade, you know who Neil deGrasse Tyson is. What you might not know is what that guy ever did to become such a well-known personality in the science community. Other than some obnoxious tweeting and always having something to say about how inaccurate your most beloved space movies are, he must have done something, right? Well, maybe not all that much. This isn't to say NDT isn't way smarter than us; it is just that he has had a different focus in life. Instead of using that massive brain of his to explore the mysteries of the universe, he has been using it, and a dash of personality, to bring awareness to science topics that would otherwise go unnoticed. Sounds kinda like what we do here at Unprofessional Engineering. Maybe he isn't the worst after all...

A huge focus has been placed on making buildings more energy efficient and eco-friendly. From the materials used to construct skyscrapers down to the amount of natural light they receive, LEED and BREEAM certified buildings are changing the game, and not just in the US! Countries all around the world are working hard to create a green cradle to grave construction projects. Engineering green structures don't just stop at large buildings, though. There are some ways that you can turn your home into an environmentally friendly house. Although the upfront cost might be a bit high, often the investments such as solar panels, led lights, and wind turbines pay for themselves. In this episode, we'll walk you through how to turn your house into the greenest home in the neighborhood and the costs associated with it. We'll also give you examples of some of the best in class structures out there when it comes to LEED certification.

You might not think that there's a lot of engineering or technology that goes into a tennis shoe, but that is not the case. From rubber and canvas to PVE cushioned mid soles, much has changed over the years. And now, with the advancements in 3d printing, 3d scanning, virtual reality and more, shoes are going to take their next step into perfection. See what I did there? Shoes...taking their next step! HA!!!