Unprofessional Engineering

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 pools, much like Olympic swimming pools, while a better solution is made. Some countries rely on nuclear fuel refinement, basically recycling of nuclear waste, but this is a very costly processes. The current solution in places like Yukka Mountain or Onkalo, Finland, is to dig a big hole under a mountain and hope for the best. OK, a little more goes into it than that, but you'll have to listen to learn more.

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 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!