Interviews with Technical People

Today we are joined by Erin Hughes, PE, a forensic structural engineer.  In this episode we learn all about forensic structural engineering, or the study of how failures occur in buildings.  From hurricanes and tornadoes to house-flipping gone wrong, Erin walks us through how this field of engineering is carried out.  We also get a bonus conversation about amphibious buildings, or houses that float during floods so that they are not inundated with water.

Today we are joined by Anthony Worthington.  The title is "Manufacturing Engineering", but in reality we covered a variety of topics based on his prior experience, ranging from underwater drones to medical devices to mattress engineering.  Join us as we hear about his experiences as an engineer across several industries, and the lessons he has learned along the way.

Today we are joined by our very own James Havu.  Join us as we discuss asset management, how modern roads and highways are managed and maintained, how data is collected, and how decisions are ultimately made to keep roads smooth.  James also shares his personal story of his path to go from planetary science to geophysics, and later becoming a transportation engineer, and the arduous process of studying for the professional engineer exam.  

Today we are joined by Matthew Gorban.  Matt is a 3rd year physics PhD candidate at Baylor University using computational general relativity to investigate the strange and fascinating physics of black holes, wormholes, and warp drives. He also researches the unusual nature of the quantum vacuum with a focus on the Casimir effect,*or the physical manifestation of nothingness*.   We discuss these topics and much more in today's show.

Today we are joined by Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi.  Join us as we discuss topics including the scale of the known universe, what minimum level math should be taught to all people, his research into James Webb, and his journey to become a well-known science communicator featured on several television programs. 

Also check out his book "A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars"

In this episode, we are joined by Chris Baker, founder of University Wafer, Inc, a company that provides semiconductor wafers to businesses, universities, and laboratories.  Join us as Chris shares the origin and mission of University wafer, and weighs in on a variety of topics related to the semiconductor industry. 

For more information about his company, check them out at their website:
https://www.universitywafer.com/

For this episode we are joined by Sascha Deri and Seth Lockman of bluShift Aerospace.  Tune in as they discuss their recent launch of Stardust 1.0, a launch vehicle featuring a unique bio-derived fuel.  We also discuss the joys and challenges of launching from Aroostook county in northern Maine in January, and much more.

More information about bluShift found at: blushiftaerospace.com/
Video of the launch found at: https://youtu.be/n0wkjy2dP-E

Today we are joined by Dr. Onur Danaci, who tells us about his career as a researcher in the field of quantum computers and quantum optics.  Get ready for a very physics-heavy show, and also be ready to learn about this up-and-coming technology.

You can follow Onur on social media as well:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/onur-danaci-00495915b/
https://twitter.com/onur_danaci

In this episode we are joined by Dorna Schroeter, an educator and author, for a conversation about sustainability and biomimicry.  Join us as we discuss topics ranging from the origins of 20th century behaviors and habits that recently impacted our planet, to better understanding the fundamental operating principles of our planet and the role that we can play. 

Information for additional reading and research:
The Biomimicry Institute: https://biomimicry.org/
AskNature https://biomimicry.org/asknature/
TBI Youth Design Challenge https://biomimicry.org/youthdesignchallenge/
Drawdown https://www.drawdown.org/
Ecological Footprint https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/footprint-calculator/
Ecological Footprint for young people https://kids.lovetoknow.com/kids-activities/carbon-footprint-calculator-kids
Natural Services http://www.fao.org/ecosystem-services-biodiversity/en/
Earth Overshoot Day https://www.overshootday.org/ and https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/past-earth-overshoot-days/
Mushroom packaging https://ecovativedesign.com/news/goodbye-mushroom-packaging

Dorna's website https://anideafromnature.com/
FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/AnIdeaFromNature

Podcast Cover Art courtesy of Dorna Schroeter

Today we are joined by Dr. Norah Ashoura.  Norah is a scientist who specializes in T cell-based cancer immunotherapy.  Join us as we discuss this exciting field, which holds great promise for the future of cancer treatment.  We dive into the details for how immunotherapy actually works, and what goes into developing new treatments. 

For a primer on the topic, check out this other brief video of Norah explaining the topic!