By The Engineering Commons Podcast
Practical insights for the engineering crowd
In this episode of The Engineering Commons, we discuss the lessons we learned during our first two or three years of working as engineering professionals. Adam considers himself a fast learner, although he finds that pain occasionally increases the rapidity...
With Brian away on vacation, Adam, Carmen, and Jeff address issues and questions found on the “Engineering,” “Ask Engineers,” and “Ask Electronics” sub-Reddits. Carmen is off on an immediate rant about finding brown M&Ms in his trailer this week, which...
Mechanical engineer Jack Reid joins Adam, Brian, Carmen and Jeff to discuss the philosophical aspects of engineering, and to review Samuel Florman’s book, “The Existential Pleasures of Engineering.” Jeff is pretty sure his life is not a syllogism, although he’s...
Brian, Carmen, and Jeff discuss movies and TV shows they find inspiring or entertaining (or maybe just awful) from an engineer’s perspective in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast! Carmen recently “unplugged” his cable service, and will soon be...
Adam, Brian, Carmen, and Jeff discuss the values and ideals that often guide engineering decision making, even if these policies are rarely written down or mentioned in academic settings. Brian finds that Dilbert cartoons help him develop a “befuddlement with...
Chemical engineer Aaron Spearin chats with Jeff and Adam, sharing insights on workflow balance, value stream mapping, and the importance of interdepartmental communication. Adam gets frequent complaints about traffic backups at this time of year, as many of his employer’s...
We talk with aeronautical engineer Patrick Riordan about the challenges of developing and navigating a career road map, Archimedes’ lever, and the Star Trek method for being perceived as a miracle worker. Although he’s enjoyed his career, Jeff isn’t ready...
We talk with mechanical engineer Tim Quinn about advances being made in the world of photonics, wave–particle duality, and optical computing in this episode of The Engineering Commons. Carmen is pleased that Google Fiber is coming to his neighborhood. Our...
Our conversation with mechanical engineer Jim Heilman delves into exciting advances being made with plastic materials, the types of molding equipment used to manufacture high-volume plastic parts, and whether or not the movie industry can be trusted to provide good...
During this episode, we chat with researcher Jonathan Wai about the strong spatial skills exhibited by many engineers. We also discuss why standardized tests don’t measure spatial abilities, the manner in which highway clover leafs are designed, and how one...
This episode centers on tools that we enjoy using, whether engineering-related or not. Jeff is of the opinion that many engineering professors dislike teaching “tools” because software packages are constantly changing in scope and syntax, and associated teaching materials must...
We discuss the pros and cons of returning to school for an advanced engineering degree in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. After knocking over a beer, Brian asks about the “industry exemption” for engineers. As a point of...
We chat with software engineer Elecia White about embedded programming, self-driving cars, and why internet appliances must connect to the web more quickly and easily if they are to find commercial success. Carmen is looking forward to burning images of...
What is your creative style, and when might it be most effective? We talk about creative diversity with electrical engineer Kathryn Jablokow in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Brian finds it best to have multiple solutions ready for...
Mechanical engineer Herb Roberts shares his stories of developing an advanced jet engine for the US military in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Jeff admits he’s never torn apart an engine, although he spent a lot of time...
Electrical engineer Bob Schmidt joins the discussion of how engineers convey important concepts without using words. Beyond writing down a few words to remind him of key details, Brian likes to dive straight into analysis or development when he has...
Adam, Brian, Carmen and Jeff discuss highlights and back stories from episodes of The Engineering Commons podcast that were released in 2014. Carmen and Adam explain why certain beers benefit from aging. It is suggested we introduce canon for our...
Carmen, Adam, and Jeff address a few methods by which engineers can track, organize, and prioritize the tasks for which they are responsible. Jeff admits that he often struggles more with deciding what to do than with getting something done....
We talk with electrical engineer Chris Gammell in this episode, discussing design tradeoffs, parametric part searches, and the manner in which design work is being altered by component manufacturers. Adam finds that he doesn’t have much choice in choosing between...
In this episode we chat with mechanical engineer Sam Feller about product design, power optimization, and drawing skills. Oh, and we talk about dunking cookies in milk… how can you beat that? Adam continues working on a semi-automated system for...
We talk with Gary Bertoline about graphics communication, computer-aided design, credentials, and competency-based degree programs in this episode of The Engineering Commons. Adam is less stressed now that he’s earned his professional engineer (PE) license. Our guest for this episode...
James Trevelyan speaks with us about the skills and talents of expert engineers, and how those of us who have not yet achieved “expert” status can improve our ability to complete engineering projects on time and within budget. Brian feels...
Electrical engineer John Chidgey joins us in this episode of The Engineering Commons to talk about ladder logic, podcasting, and an engineer’s role in making the world a better place. An open invitation to discuss general engineering issues got Jeff...
We discuss some of the considerations that go into choosing a threaded fastener in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. It can be more complicated than you might think! Carmen has a tendency to make up words every now...
In a lively discussion of how to best prepare today’s engineering students for tomorrow’s engineering challenges, we talk with Dave Goldberg and Catherine Whitney about their new book, A Whole New Engineer. Any “dot-com” dreams that Brian harbored during his...
We answer nine questions about the engineering profession, gathered from a quaint little website called Reddit, in this episode of The Engineering Commons. You may notice a common thread in our responses, as there is rarely a clear-cut solution, and...
Michael Lachman, who started his career as an aerospace engineer, leads us through the pros and cons of following up an engineering degree with an MBA. Adam doesn’t have much interest in business, so he doesn’t think he’s a likely...
Electrical engineer Meagan Pollock explains how engineers can be more effective role models. We also learn about promoting equity in the workplace, discover how digital movie projection technology is used to improve medical care, and consider whether or not software...
Our conversation with Dr. Janusz Kozinski, Founding Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering, covers the trials and tribulations of starting a new engineering school, as well as the the attributes and mindset of a “renaissance engineer.” Additionally, we learn...
Geological engineer Pamela Rogalski shares her insights about using social license to enact change in organizations and communities during this episode of The Engineering Commons. Adam notes that bureaucracies seem rather opposed to the concept of change. Our guest for...
We talk with aeronautical engineer Mark French about degrees and careers in Engineering Technology, as well as delving into wind tunnels, guitars, and how to launch a ping-pong ball at supersonic speeds. While Carmen is unsure if he’s a technologist,...
In a completely off-the-cuff discussion, Adam, Brian, Carmen and Jeff wander through subjects including finite state machines, power circuit wiring, and the economic implications of technological advances. Jeff is busy preparing to teach a Software Carpentry course, as well as...
In this episode of The Engineering Commons, we discuss engineering skills and duties learned in the workplace, rather than from a textbook. Brian tells young engineers that an engineering degree is a “learner’s permit.” Once in the workplace, engineers have...
We discuss the legendary engineers of analog electronics with Linear Technology’s Todd Nelson. Jeff and Brian discuss how analog computers have been replaced by digital computers, but digital signals have to be treated as analog waveforms as the bandwidth increases....
Aeronautical engineer Clay Coons explains the most common types of engines, and why each type is optimal in certain applications. Antidisestablishmentarianism is the longest non-technical word in the English language. “Suck, squeeze, bang, blow” is a mnemonic phrase for remembering...
Biochemical engineer Kai Zhuang walks us through the evolving relationships between technology and humanity, especially as it relates to engineering education, in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Jeff and Adam discuss the high salaries being offered to software...
We talk with mechanical engineer, product designer, educator, and executive consultant Craig Sampson about the importance of storytelling in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Carmen likes the universality of engineering stories, in that all engineers eventually encounter similar...
In this episode we talk about engineering pranks through the years. We seem to have a new focus for this podcast; as we will apparently be talking about “Tar Roads!” Tar is a black, thermoplastic material produced by the destructive...
In this episode we talk about product development with electrical engineer Dave Young, who is an author, educator, and small business owner. Brian has been fortunate enough to be involved in new product development for much of his career. Many...
We talk with systems engineer Mike Parks about the intersection of art and engineering in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Adam finds that his beer brewing talents exceed his drawing and singing skills. Our guest for this episode...
In a conversation with electrical engineer Cherish Bauer-Reich, we consider factors that encourage or dissuade women from entering the engineering profession. Over the past thirty years, Jeff has seen a definite increase in the number of women attending engineering school....
We talk with electrical engineer Bob Schmidt about troubleshooting in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Please help us improve the podcast by filling out our 2014 Listener Survey! Adam, Brian and Jeff agree that troubleshooting computer software problems...
Adam leads the group on a discussion of project management in this episode of The Engineering Commons. Please help us improve the podcast by filling out our 2014 Listener Survey! Brian feels any technically interesting project is probably of sufficient...
Jeff, Adam, and Carmen discuss the highlights and back stories from last year’s episodes of The Engineering Commons podcast. Please help us improve the podcast by filling out our 2014 Listener Survey! Carmen is hoping that when he moves into...
We talk with civil engineer, author, and coach Anthony Fasano about steps one can take to ensure a successful engineering career. Although Jeff’s engineering career hasn’t led to huge financial success, he considers it to have been successful, as he...
In this episode, we consider how engineers deal with ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk. Carmen would be willing to take a 50/50 shot at $1001 tomorrow over a certain $500 today. Most people are risk-averse when dealing with gains, and would...
We talk about context and learning with Chris Gammell, founder of the Contextual Electronics series of instructional videos. Adam’s favorite lab course in school was Bituminous Materials, which investigated the properties and characteristics of asphalt. Our guest, Chris Gammell, recently...
Guest Erica Lee Garcia explains the role of process improvement tools such as Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and Statistical Process Control in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Although process improvement tools are widely used in manufacturing, not all...
Guest Sophi Kravitz helps us understand some of the issues involved with starting a one-person consulting firm. Jeff started out on his own in 1994, but had a rocky beginning before landing on his feet. Carmen fears that, left to...
Guest Stefan Jaeger joins us to discuss the portrayal of engineers in literature and mass media. If his work life were a procedural crime drama, Brian’s not sure whether he’d be portrayed as a hero or a villain. Brian enjoyed...