The Aspiring STEM Geek

In this episode I talk with Rob Hindley, the Head of Consultancy and Technology Development at Railotech. The focus of this episode is on the design of ice class vessels. Rob starts the conversation by defining ice class vessels and ice breakers. Then we do a deep dive into the topic; we discuss the service life of ice class vessels, the mariners who crew the vessel, the arctic conditions the vessels encounter, the properties and behavior of different types of ice, the design and engineering behind the vessels, the common energy sources used to power vessels, the industry for ice class vessels and much more. I hope you enjoy!

ARTICLES:

Ice Management: https://railotech.fi/app/uploads/2018/08/arctic_passion_news_2011_0.pdf

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star marks 50 years ofservice, begins Operation Deep Freeze 2026: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4385905/

Froud Number (Froud scaling laws): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froude_number

Fram Museum: https://frammuseum.no/en/

WEBSITES:

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers: https://sname.org/

BOOKS:

Through Ice and Fire by Sarah Laverick

CONNECT:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro
1:40 – Defining ice class vessels
4:07 – Ice breakers
6:46 – Escort Icebreaker
7:53 – Service life of ice class vessels
9:55 – Vessel size categories
12:15 – The mariners who crew ice class vessels
15:08 – The different types of ice
20:15 – The mechanics of ice
22:22 – Avoiding ice
24:20 – Gliding through ice
26:50 – Getting stuck in ice
32:23 – Specialized material on the hull of ice class vessels
34:09 – Propulsion systems and the energy fueling ice class vessels
40:58 – The tradeoffs considered when designing a vessel
44:15 – Maintenance of an ice class vessel
48:03 – Prototyping vessels
52:54 – Scaling up prototypes
57:55 – Finland’s maritime ecosystem
1:03:16 – Maritime regulations
1:13:48 – Customer base for ice class vessels
1:15:36 – Arctic shipping routes
1:20:07 – Getting started in the ship building industry
1:22:47 – Rob’s most memorable experience on a vessel he engineered
1:24:29 – Coldest temperature Rob has experienced
1:27:01 – Places and activities in Finland
1:29:25 – Book recommendation
1:31:12 – Conclusion

In this episode I talk with Dr. Kelley Mullick a data centerexpert and the CEO and co-Founder of Avayla Consulting Group. The focus of thisepisode is on the technology and methods used to cool data centers. We startthe episode discussing Kelley’s academic background as a chemist and breakinginto the data center field at Intel.

Then we get into data center cooling. Kelley explains themetrics used to evaluate the thermal performance of data centers, the overallincrease in compute power usage in the AI age, common cooling methods such asair and liquid cooling, how data center operators determine the optimal coolingmix for their facility, the costs of retrofitting a data center with moreadvanced cooling technology and much more. I hope you enjoy!

ARTICLES & PAPERS:

Kelley’s PhD dissertation: https://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1324247960

CPU Cooler: Liquid Cooling Vs. Air Cooling: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/cpu-cooler-liquid-cooling-vs-air-cooling.html

Alibaba is developing its own immersion cooling tech: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/alibaba-is-developing-its-own-immersion-cooling-tech/

Hybrid Liquid Cooling Is the Only Way to Stop AI fromBoiling Over by Kelley Mullick: https://thesiliconreview.com/2025/11/hybrid-liquid-cooling-is-the-only-way-to-stop-ai-from-boiling-over

Cool It: Team Tackles the Thermal Challenge Data CentersFace: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/liquid-cooling-doe-challenge/

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area: https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx

How is Switch Building AI-Ready Sustainable Data Centres?: https://datacentremagazine.com/news/how-is-switch-building-ai-ready-sustainable-data-centres

BOOKS:

Nancy Drew Series

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:

massobeats - chamomile (https://youtu.be/YFuAgsA4bNI)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro
1:32 – Kelley’s interest in STEM and the arts
2:23 – Studying chemistry in undergrad and grad school
6:17 – Defining what a data center is
7:13 – Kelley’s time at Intel
9:33 – Why compute needs to be cooled
10:33 – Metrics to measure the thermal performance of a data center
13:39 – Colocation operator vs hyperscalers
14:55 – AI and increased compute power usage
20:15 – Components outside of compute that contribute to a data center’sthermal load
20:48 – Data center cooling methods
26:16 – How data center operators determine the optimal cooling architecture
29:17 – Data centers outside of the United States
31:40 – The potential best path for data center cooling
34:28 – Feasibility of retrofitting data centers with more advanced cooling
37:54 – The public’s view on data centers
40:43 – Kelley’s ideal data center policies
44:25 – Things to do in Ohio
46:48 – Book recommendations
48:16 - Conclusion

In this episode I talk with Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg, a formerArmy aviation officer, NASA astronaut and current Professor of Practice, Industrial & Systems Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University.

In the episode, we discuss how Nancy became interested in aviation at a young age, her decision to join the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Nancy’s work as an Army Aviator, her time as a NASA flight simulation engineer, attending the Astronaut Candidate Training Program, the experience of taking off into space, her role as a flight engineer across fourNASA space missions, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Nancy leading the Space Shuttle Program’s Safety and Mission Assurance Office after the Columbia disaster, her recommendation to aspiring Astronauts and much more. I hope you enjoy!

ARTICLES:

STS-57: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-57/

STS-88: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-88/

Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Report (2003): https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/caib/news/report/volume1/default.html

The Challenger STS-51L Accident: https://www.nasa.gov/challenger-sts-51l-accident/

What we know about the midair plane and helicopter crashnear Washington, D.C.: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5280198/plane-crash-washington-dc-helicopter-potomac

Neil Armstrong, Ohio teachers inspired astronaut NancyCurrie-Gregg: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/usa250/2026/04/12/nancy-currie-gregg-astronaut-challenger-explosion-ohio/89441020007/

BOOKS:

The Challenger launch decision by Diane Vaughan

Normal Accidents by Charles Perrow

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:

massobeats - bonsai (https://youtu.be/BgjrxtC_WlE)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro
0:21 – Nancy’s interest in math and science growing up
1:09 – Studying Biological Science and joining Army Reserve Officers' TrainingCorps
4:55 – Army aviation school
8:17 –Helicopter Instructor Pilot
10:22 – NASA Simulation Engineer
14:54 – NASA’s Shuttle Training Aircraft
19:14 – Fault injection in flight simulation
21:57 – NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Training Program
24:56 – Space Transportation System 57 (STS-57)
32:16 –Space Transportation System 88 (STS-88)
37:00 – The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the aftermath
41:38 – Breaking into the space industry
43:56 – Book recommendation
46:34 – Conclusion

In this episode I talk with Estevan Ortega, a welder and welding instructor at Santa Fe Community College.

We first discuss how Estevan got into welding. Then Estevan explains what welding is, the equipment utilized, the science of welding, different welding processes such as MIG, TIG and STICK, the industries welders can work in, specialized fields such as welding for national labs or underwater welding, the salaries of welders and much more. I hope you enjoy!

Estevan’s Art Welding at Globe Fine Art: https://globefineart.com/artist/estevan-ortega

ARTICLES:

A Comprehensive Guide to Groove Welding: https://www.lincolntech.edu/news/skilled-trades/welding-technology/comprehensive-guide-groove-welding

Lunch atop a Skyscraper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_atop_a_Skyscraper

Rail safety investigators release final report on deadlysouthern Colorado derailment: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/rail-safety-investigators-final-report-deadly-pueblo-colorado-derailment/

The Santa Fe Opera brings non-traditional applications ofwelding studies to high school students: https://www.santafeopera.org/company/press-news-media/welding-at-the-opera/

BOOKS:

King James Bible

Dante’s Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

 MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:Music: massobeats - familiar places (https://youtu.be/M0NqWjmUl4Q)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible:https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro
1:03 – Estevan’s Interest in engineering and the trades growing up
2:27 – How Estevan got into welding
4:13 – Defining welding
6:19 – Equipment that novice welders learn to use
7:09 – Welding personal protective equipment (PPE)
10:01 – Thermal cycle of welding
13:12 – The big four welding processes
16:44 – Orbital, Laser welding and advanced technologies
20:28 – Welding material forms
27:39 – Welding joint types
28:52 – Base and filler metals
32:19 – Welding in the field vs welding in a shop
35:57 – Thermal cutting
37:24 – Welding in Alaska
40:00 – Welding symbols
42:06 – Identifying welding defects
48:03 – Walking through a real world example of a welding job
54:16 – If you are older what are your options in welding?
58:37 – Which industries currently have a high demand for welders?
1:02:07 – Working for national labs and high tech companies
1:07:01 – Hyperbaric (underwater) welding
1:12:13 – Where Estevan’s welding students find work
1:17:28 – How welding salaries compare to other trades
1:21:24 – The gender gap in welding
1:27:02 – How to get started in welding
1:31:41 – If Estevan could work in a different field it would be…
1:36:29 – Estevan’s work with a local high school at the Santa Fe Opera
1:39:24 – Estevan’s art

1:43:16 – Best activities in Santa Fe
1:46:41 – Book Recommendations
1:51:00 – Conclusion

In this episode I talk with Dr. Jonathan Koomey, the founder of Koomey Analytics and a former researcher & scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The focus of this episode is on data centers.

We first start with Jon’s interest in the history of science which he studied at Harvard for his undergraduate. We go over Jon’s PhD thesis on why cost-effective energy efficiency measures may not be adopted in new office buildings. Then we get to data centers. Jonathan discusses the difficulties in obtaining the energy usage data for data centers, the tradeoff between innovation & understanding energy use, limitations of AI in research, a phenomenological model named Koomey’s law that Jon developed, GPUs, software to develop more energy efficient AI models, energy efficient vs inefficient data centers, how companies decide where to build data centers & much more. I hope you enjoy!

Koomey Analytics Website: www.koomey.com

PAPERS:

Jon’s PhD Thesis: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268339858

Estimating Bitcoin Electricity Use: A Beginner’s Guide: https://coincenter.org/estimating-bitcoin-electricity-use-a-beginners-guide

Implications of Historical Trends in the ElectricalEfficiency of Computing: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224128141

Characteristics of low-carbon data centres:  https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1786

Separating fact from fiction in data center electricity forecasts: A guide for regulators: https://gridlab.org/portfolio-item/data-center-load-forecast-report

Electricity Demand Growth & Data Centers: A Guide for the Perplexed: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/electricity-demand-growth-and-data-centers/

ARTICLES:

Data center energy use: truth versus myth: https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/data-center-energy-myth.html

Koomey’s Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koomey%27s_law

2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32d6m0d1

To better understand AI’s growing energy use, analysts need a data revolution: https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(24)00347-7

BOOKS:

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

Reinventing the Bazaar by John McMillan

Linked: The New Science of Networks by Albert-László Barabási

TEXTBOOK:

Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving by Jonathan Koomey

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:Music: massobeats - https://youtu.be/4uJKRDkwwXo

VIDEO:

China & AI Supply Chains: DeepSeek, Huawei, Transformers, Robotics, & More with TP Huang: https://youtu.be/NAXOP5gt_5I

CONNECT:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro
1:39 – Jon’s interest in science and energy
2:37 – Energy issues in 2026
7:24 – Jon studying the History of Science at Harvard
10:19 – Jon’s research at UC Berkeley
11:38 – Jon’s PhD Thesis on energy efficiency in new office buildings
19:51 – Rated power vs. actual power draw for hardware
26:32 – Why is energy usage not well measured by tech manufacturers?
28:05 – Critical thinking & the limitations of AI
34:05 – Koomey’s Law
38:59 – CUDA the software behind Nvidia’s GPUs
40:53 – AI software development in China
43:50 – Efficient vs inefficient data centers
49:47 – The shift from On Prem to Cloud
51:39 – How do companies decide where to build data centers?
57:24 – Data centers in the AI age
1:02:19 – Will the US & China dominate in data center compute?
1:05:35 – Does the type of AI algorithm affect energy efficiency of datacenters?
1:08:54 – The issues with assumptions about AI
1:17:38 – Jon’s ideal data center policies
1:24:59 – Book recommendations
1:29:51 – Conclusion

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Emily Howard aNutritional Physiologist at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). The focus of the episode is nutritional physiology, which is the study of how nutrients and diet interact with the body at a cellular and physiological level.

We start the conversation discussing how Emily becameinterested in nutritional science. Then we get into the field. Emily defines physiology and nutritional science, explains macronutrients, ketones, metabolism, calories, how fat is burned, how muscle is built, muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown, research she has conducted onsupplements, research she conducted on nutrition in extreme arctic environments and much more. I hope you enjoy!

PAPERS:

Ketone Monoester Plus Carbohydrate Supplementation Does NotAlter Exogenous and Plasma Glucose Oxidation or Metabolic Clearance Rate DuringExercise in Men Compared with Carbohydrate Alone: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36893935/

Chocolate Milk and Endurance Exercise Recovery ProteinBalance, Glycogen, and Performance: https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182364162

Whole-Body Protein Balance during Arctic Military TrainingIs Unaffected by Dietary Essential Amino Acid or Energy Density: https://jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(26)00163-X/fulltext

ARTICLES:

Iron-Deficiency Anemia: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22824-iron-deficiency-anemia

Physiology: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/physiology

Know Your Macros: Why Macronutrients Are Key to HealthyEating: https://www.cedars-sinai.org/stories-and-insights/expert-advice/what-are-macronutrients

BOOKS:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Ski Troops by Hal Burton

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:

Music: massobeats - memories (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM139aHl4fY)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro
1:23 – Emily’s interest in biology, exercise science and nutrition
4:54 – Joining the United States Army Research Institute of EnvironmentalMedicine (USAREIM) as a researcher
7:38 – Defining Physiology and Nutritional Physiology
8:34 – Macronutrients
10:26 – Do our bodies have a preferred fuel source?
13:09 – Ketones
14:43 – Calories
16:21 – Building muscle and burning fat
19:40 – Total calories vs how the calories are consumed
22:04 – Nutrition as you age
25:14 – Emily’s research on Ketones and Carbohydrates
32:23 – Muscle Protein Synthesis and Muscle Protein Breakdown
36:33 – mTOR Pathway and muscle growth
39:48 – Hormones regulating Muscle Protein Synthesis and Breakdown
40:46 – Is all protein created equal?
43:42 – Is chocolate milk a good source of protein for post/pre workouts?
45:32 – Calories burned in a normal environment compared to an extreme Arcticenvironment
49:24 – Experiencing Arctic weather during a research trip
52:44 – Is there an ideal diet for the extreme cold?
54:30 – Extreme cold can limit your will for any activity
56:32 – Emily’s research on protein balance in the Arctic
1:11:48 – Can nutritional advice be generalized?
1:14:49 – How to start a career in nutrition science and or physiology
1:17:23 – UConn Sports
1:19:30 – Emily’s favorite sports to play and watch
1:21:02 – Book Recommendations
1:23:00 - Conclusion

In this episode I am joined by Doctor Natalia Gauer Pasqualon, a volcanologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The focus of this episode is volcanology, which is the study of volcanoes and geochemical phenomena.We first discuss how Natalia decided to study geology for her undergraduate degree and how Natalia ended up finishing two PhDs in volcanology. Then we get into volcanology. Natalia defines what a Volcano is, the difference between lava and magma, hotspots, the different types of volcanoes, volcanic eruptions, underwater volcanoes, super volcanoes, the terabytes of data she has to work with and much more. I hope you enjoy!

PAPERS:

Natalia’s PhD Thesis: https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/101a9715-d88a-4983-a2b6-e03d505cd503

Kīlauea lava fuels phytoplankton bloom in the North Pacific Ocean: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aax4767

Growth and degradation of Hawaiian volcanoes: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/pp18013

ARTICLES:

Oceanic Hotspots: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/plate-tectonics-oceanic-hotspots.htm

Volcanic Eruptions: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/volcanoes/volcanic-eruptions.htm

Update on the July 23 Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/240723.htm

Marine life's latest hotspot could be an underwater volcano primed to erupt off Oregon: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5398591/underwater-volcano-eruption-oregon

What is a supervolcano? What is a supereruption?: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-a-supervolcano-what-a-supereruption

Man dies after rescue from restricted area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-dies-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-rcna262100

BOOKS:

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:

Music: massobeats - warmth (https://youtu.be/slnUKMhcQUs)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro

1:17 – Why Natália decided to study geology for her undergraduate

4:51 – Natália earning two PhDs

8:56 – Defining what a Volcano is

10:38 – Defining Volcanology

10:57 – The geochemistry of Volcanoes

13:36 – Lava vs Magma

15:05 – Hotspots

17:38 – Modeling lava flow

18:59 – The types of Volcanoes

21:26 – The most common Volcano type in Hawaii

22:19 – The types of Volcanic eruptions

24:46 – Which Volcano type is most dangerous?

28:21 – How well can we forecast Volcanic eruptions?

33:32 – Accessing Volcanoes as a researcher

34:50 – Collecting data during Volcanic activity

39:09 – Super Volcanoes

41:47 – Yellowstone

43:19 – Submarine Volcanoes

48:42 – The lifecycle of a Volcano in Hawaii

54:37 – Natália’s research for her PhD thesis

1:03:51 – The dangers of Volcanoes

1:06:17 – Volcanic soil for growing agriculture

1:07:48 – Housing near Volcano hazard zones

1:08:37 – Wildlife near Volcanoes

1:10:03 – How to get started in Volcanology

1:11:59 – Coolest Volcanoes Natália has seen

1:14:06 – Places to check out if you visit Brazil

1:17:12 – Brazilian cinematography and music

1:19:21 – Book recommendation

In this episode I am joined by Eric Larson, a hydrologist who works for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The focus of this episode is hydrology, which is a field in science that studies the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth. In the episode we discuss Eric’s love of the outdoors, studying civil engineering for his undergraduate, his current work as a hydrologist in Montana, methods for collecting hydrology data, his experience with SNOwpackTELemetryNetwork, how hydrology data is utilized by farmers and local governments and much more. I hope you enjoy!

VIDEO:

MontanaNRCS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MontanaNRCS/videos

PAPERS:

The History of Snow Survey & Water Supply forecasting: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/History-Of-Snow-Survey.pdf

Water Supply Outlook Reports – Montana: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/montana/montana-snow-survey/water-supply-outlook-reports-montana

ARTICLES:

The Man Behind the Snowpack: https://mountainjournal.org/eric-larson-the-man-behind-the-snowpack/

Understanding Snow: https://watereducationcolorado.org/publications-and-radio/headwaters-magazine/spring-2024-the-snow-issue/understanding-snow/

Snow: The real water supply for the Rio Grande basin: https://jornada.nmsu.edu/files/bibliography/06-035.pdf

These Four States Are in Denial Over a Looming Water Crisis: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/opinion/water-shortage-colorado-river.html

Spring Outlook: Drought forecasted to expand in U.S. West, parts of Plains: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/spring-outlook-drought-forecasted-to-expand-in-us-west-parts-of-plains

June 2022 Floods in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20243035/full

Requirements to become a Hydrologist in the US: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315

BOOKS:

Never Turn Back: The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar by Ron Watters

The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:Music:

massobeats - chilly (https://youtu.be/UbwxYGj5phk)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717

X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV|-

Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro

1:12 – Eric growing up in Minnesota

3:34 – Studying civil engineering at University

5:05 – Defining Hydrology

7:13 – SNOwpack TELemetry Network (SNOTEL)

8:27 – What time of the year is Hydrology data collected

10:36 – How SNOTEL data is transmitted & collected

12:12 – Grizzly Bears near SNOTEL sites

13:46 – Maintenance on SNOTEL equipment

15:54 – Process to sample Snow Course data

21:26 – Elevation sickness

22:35 – Defining Snowpacks

23:44 – Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)

25:48 – Spatial variability of snow fall

28:44 – Hydrological measurements

31:41 – Sublimination

35:20 – Methods of trekking to the SNOTEL sites

39:10 – Maintaining SNOTEL data

41:32 – Snow Survey & Water Supply Forecasting Program

43:55 – Avalanche risk

46:44 – Hydrology equipment is expensive…

51:47 – The hardest part of collecting Hydrology data

56:35 – Who utilizes Hydrology data?

58:48 – Surface vs Ground water

1:01:08 – Water from snow melt

1:02:02 – Droughts

1:04:54 – Water conservation and water capture

1:07:45 – How to get started in Hydrology

1:11:04 – Outdoor activities in Montana

1:12:25 – Glacier National Park & Custer Gallatin National Forest

1:13:56 – Best ski spots

1:14:56 – Indiana Bones

1:17:25 – Book recommendation

1:18:53 - Conclusion

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Elizabeth Congdon, a Capybara researcher and a Professor at Bethune Cookman University. In the episode we start with Beth’s experience with collecting and analyzing data at the Cleveland Zoo and Beth’s research on primates for her Master’s thesis. Then we get into the main focus of the episode, Capybaras! Beth compares Capybaras to other rodents, reviews the regions where they live, their diets, how they communicate, why they swim in the water, why they are so seemingly chill and much more. I hope you enjoy!

Ologies Podcast episode with Dr. Elizabeth Congdon: https://www.alieward.com/ologies/hydrochoerology

PAPERS:

Natal dispersal and new group formation in capybaras in a seasonally flooded savanna of Venezuela (Beth’s PhD thesis): https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/561/

Self discrimination in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3887474/

Status of Capybaras & Potential for Establishment in Florida: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345844506

WHERE TO SEE CAPYBARAS:

Pantanal, Brazil (In the wild)

Capybara Cafe in St. Augustine Florida, USA (Animal sanctuary)

BOOKS:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:

Chillpeach - Tomato farm (https://youtu.be/Abc-M-X3jmQ)

CONNECT:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinayPODCAST:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro

1:29 – Beth’s interest in animals growing up

2:39 – Conducting Research at the Cleveland Zoo

6:36 – Researching primates in the wild

12:10 – Why are primatologists located in the anthropology department of universities?

15:14 – What is a Capybara?

16:29 – Capybaras compared to other rodents

19:41 – What regions are Capybaras found in?

21:25 – Capybara’s diet

22:54 – A hypothesis on why Capybaras are so chill

24:02 – The size of Capybaras

25:02 – Time to adulthood and lifespans of Capybaras

27:03 – How male Capybaras become dominant

29:59 – Capybara communications

30:54 – Capybaras are semi-aquatic

34:54 – The area used by wild Capybaras

36:07 – Capybaras and predators

39:08 – Capybaras and birds

40:30 – Beth’s current research

42:46 – If Beth could do any type of Capybara research she wanted

46:59 – Are Capybaras cuddly?

47:34 – The feasibility of having a Capybara as a pet

48:44 – Would Capybaras be able to survive on their own in Florida?

51:25 – Capybara Litter sizes

52:58 – Where to see Capybaras in Central and South America

55:09 – Capybara Sanctuary in St. Augustine, Florida

57:03 – Beth’s favorite Capybara reference in pop culture

57:47 – Which dog breed is most like Capybaras?

59:18 – Beth’s favorite moments with Capybaras

1:02:02 – If Beth could study another species besides Capybaras it would be…

1:04:12 – Book recommendations

1:07:37 – Conclusion

This episode is all about Chile Peppers! I traveled to southern New Mexico to the Chile Pepper institute at New Mexico State University. I talk with Danise Coon and Dr. Dennis Lozada who are two researchers with the institute. In the episode we discuss the origins of Chile Peppers, the factors that affect Chile pepper production, the Scoville scale to measure the heat of peppers, mechanization of agricultural functions, multi omics, methods to improve pepper yields and the best dishes that go with Chile peppers. I hope you enjoy!

VIDEO:

Pepper X: Sean Evans, Chili Klaus & Smokin' Ed Currie Eat the New World's Hottest Pepper | Hot Ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUYtDA7j19c

PAPERS:

Diversification of chiles (Capsicum, Solanaceae) through time and space: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9622771/

Chile Consumers and Their Preferences Toward Region of Production-Certified Chile Peppers: https://pubs.nmsu.edu/research/economics/RR790/

Chile Pepper (Capsicum) Breeding and Improvement in the "Multi-Omics" Era: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35592583/

ARTICLES:Scoville scale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scaleNMSU investigates how peppers get their punch: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/nmsu/2016/01/31/nmsu-investigates-how-peppers-get-their-punch/79607342/

RESTAURANTS:

Chope's Bar & Cafe in La Mesa, NM

La Posta De Mesilla in Mesilla, NM

Andele Restaurant Mesilla, NM

Si Señor Restaurant in Las Cruces, NM

El Parasol in Española, NM

El Paragua Restaurant in Española, NM

Tomasita's Santa Fe New Mexican Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM

Owl Cafe in Albuquerque, NM

CONNECT:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717

X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV

|-Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro

1:08 – What are Chile Peppers and where do they come from

2:24 – Ideal climate to grow Chile Peppers

6:20 – Disease affecting Chile Peppers

7:22 – Why has there been a drop in Chile Pepper production

8:42 – Measuring the spiciness of Chile Peppers

13:37 – How to cool off from a hot Pepper

15:34 – Does Pepper X have potential competition from New Mexico?

18:05 – Green vs. Red

20:43 – NuMex Twilight Ornamental Chile

21:44 – Ristra

25:01 – The best times to visit the Chile Pepper Institute

27:35 – The International Pepper Conference

29:54 – The Chile Pepper Institute’s global partners

31:52 – Defining Capsicum

32:17 – Multi-Omics

36:08 – The phenotyping bottleneck

38:06 – Speed Breeding

38:59 – Robots in the Pepper fields

42:40 – Chile vs Chili

44:26 – Favorite food to add Chile too

46:50 – Hottest Chile Pepper Danise has tried

49:28 – Best New Mexican dishes with Chile Pepper

50:38 – New Mexico restaurant recommendations

54:43 – The natural beauty of New Mexico