Sometimes even what seems to be the simplest invention has a long and interesting history, and certainly isn't an instant success. That was the case with one of the most well known materials around today; Velcro!

It all started when George de Mestral noticed some annoying burrs on his dog after a walk, and unknowingly used biomimicry to recreate this over time, creating Velcro! Of course, NASA gets credit for the invention much of the time, but in reality, they only made it a cool and futuristic item to have at home. 

Learn about the rest of the Velcro history, how it is mass produced, some unique uses for it, and much more!

Everything Velcro - Episode 275

Interested in science, technology, machinery, engineering and the history behind everyday things? Want a fast and fun way to get your kids interested in STEM? Look no further! We break down a weekly engineering topic in a way that everyone can understand and enjoy.
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After seven years and 340 episodes, it is time for us to say goodbye to our amazing Unprofessional Engineering listeners. It has been a great run and we appreciate all of the emails (nice and otherwise), social posts, and care packages that were sent our way. Hosting this podcast was one of the most enjoyable things that I have been part of (and I assume Luke as well) and hope that you all enjoyed it as much as we did. Who knows? Maybe someday we will be back! No, no we won't...but, I'll still say it. 

Oh, and this episode!! It is just us hanging out talking about our experience in podcasting, our favorite and least favorite episodes, the ones that were most successful, our favorite moments over the years, and more!!!

Thank you again for the millions of listens, hours of your lives spent listening to us get information wrong, and kindly not pointing out all of our mistakes. If you want to let us know how mad you are that we're out, go ahead and email unprofessionalengineering@gmail.com and I will for sure get back to you. Also, I will not get back to you, but you can send 'em anyway! See ya!

All Good Things Must Come to an End - Episode 341

If you're a golfer, one thing that you know for sure is that bad shots are never your fault! Your grip might be worn down, your clubs are old, someone talked in your backswing, or you're playing with bad golf balls. Speaking of golf balls, perhaps they are bad due to their manufacturing process. 

We looked back to understand the history of the golf ball, from Rome to Scotland, from wooden balls to the feathery, it has been a long journey to get where we are today. We also did a deep dive on the actual manufacturing process that we use today for making golf balls. from creating the core, to defining the modulus of elasticity and compression of the golf ball, all the way up to painting your favorite brand on the front of the ball, we have it all!

How Golf Balls Are Made - Episode 340

Scientists around the world are making giant leaps in the field of nuclear fusion. OK, maybe not giant leaps, but, you know, very small steps that are still very significant for helping the world become free of their dependency on fossil fuels. 

Although scientists theorized how nuclear fusion worked back in the 1800s, we still haven’t been able to make a form of energy that we can rely on today. But we’re getting there! In just a few short decades, the science community is confident that we will be able to depend on nuclear fusion at a large scale. How far do we have to go? Well, just recently we were able to briefly produce more energy from a fusion reaction than it took to make happen. Sort of. Intriguing, right? That is why you’re going to have to listen to learn more!

How Does Nuclear Fusion Work? - Episode 339

Continuing our series on companies that built the world, we've finally landed on one whose projects have already earned their on episodes; Lockheed Martin! 

Fun fact: Lockheed Martin didn't become a thing until 1995, but Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta were around well before. From the F-117 Nighthawk to the SR-71 Blackbird, and a ton of things in between, we look at all of the major accomplishments of this (or these?) company and how it became one of the companies that built the world!

Companies That Built the World: Lockheed Martin - Episode 338

With the emergence of the Soviet Flanker and Fulcrum, the United States Air Force realized there was a need for a new Advanced Tactical Fighter. That new ATF was the F-22 Raptor, a stealth tactical fighter developed by Lockheed Martin and friends. 

We look into the engineering innovation that was needed to design the F-22, from new composite materials to crazy stealth technology that makes the F-22 appear to be the size of a bumble bee on radar. How is this even possible?! You'll have to listen to find out!! Or Google it... but mostly just listen.

Everything Velcro - Episode 275

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