Show Summary:

ENGINEER SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Lonnie Johnson (b. 1949) is an American inventor and engineer whose curiosity started early. Growing up in Alabama, he loved taking things apart and even built a working robot in high school, winning a statewide science fair as the only Black student competing. Johnson went on to earn engineering degrees and worked for the U.S. Air Force and NASA, contributing to major missions like Galileo’s exploration of Jupiter.

While experimenting at home in the 1980s, he accidentally created a powerful water stream that sparked an idea. After refining the design, he invented the Super Soaker, one of the best‑selling toys of all time. Dr. Johnson used its success to fund research in advanced batteries and clean energy through his own company. With more than 100 patents, he continues to innovate and inspire young engineers today.

Links from the Show:

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Boiling Space Oceans: A study in Nature Astronomy suggests that some icy moons, including Enceladus, may have underground oceans that can begin to boil as their ice shells thin.

Light Control: Scientists at NYU have developed a new way to control how crystals form by using light as a “remote control.”

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