This week on the Hewlett Packard Labs podcast, research scientist Ashkan Seyedi teaches Dejan Milojicic what silicon photonics is: manipulating and routing light instead of electrons on low-cost silicon chips, instead of the exotic materials common today for optical communication. Ashkan focuses on production, adoption, volume business, supply chain, why he’s engaged with the OSA and IEEE professional organizations. He closes by discussing living and working in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, as well as his Persian origins.