Unprofessional Engineering

With the severity of the coronavirus taking over the news, we thought that we should investigate the deadliest pandemics of all time. In addition to learning about the Black Death, Spanish Flu, and others, we look at the difference between an epidemic and pandemic, the research process to come up with a cure, and more!

We got the chance to talk to an amazing STEM teacher from Bud Carson Middle School, Janet Andrade. What makes this conversation so interesting you ask? Janet is part of an amazing Fuel Your School program sponsored by our friends at Chevron, who team up with DonorsChoose.org to make it happen. We discuss how Janet and Chevron are helping to even the playing field for students in lower income neighborhoods, giving them the same opportunities in STEM fields as areas that may already have tech labs available. From 3D printing to prosthetic designs, these kids are doing it all! Interested in helping out a local teacher? Take a listen to learn how you can help, or head over to DonorsChoose.org right now to make it happen.

Earthquakes are happening around the world every day, but what is causing them and what can be done to prepare for these natural disasters ahead of time? We take a look at how earthquakes happen, why some areas are more prone to them than others, and the various ways to measure their intensity.

The invention of the GPS has changed the world like few inventions have in the past 50 years. The billions of dollars it has injected into the global economy aside, this technology has revolutionized everything from how we drive, to the tracking of continental shifts. We have been lucky enough to get to meet with one of the inventors of GPS, Hugo Fruehauf, who recently was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (think of it like the Nobel Prize for engineering). Hugo's contributions to GPS focused on the creation of the atomic clock which gives GPS the crazy accuracy to get you where you're going. In addition to discussing the QE Prize and GPS, we talked learned about Hugo's work on other projects like the Titan I and the Saturn V rocket. You're not going to want to miss this episode!

Do UFOs exist? It is a question as old as time itself...or the 1940s. James and Luke have decided to settle the debate once and for all, and yes, one of them believes! This episode covers the first UFO sightings, the most unexplained experiences, how a UFO could actually be manufactured and the efforts going into it as we speak, and some of the craziest abduction stories out there.

Nothing will change what you think you will be doing as an engineer like an internship or your first job. James and Luke discuss how their internship experiences prepared them for their first jobs and helped them reach the harsh reality of what engineering actually is. They also jump into how their first jobs continued to teach them that everything they learned in college wasn't necessarily something that they would be using in their future careers. Take a listen and learn why internships are so important, and help to understand why your engineering degree might just be a way to get you into a different career that you really love.

The futuristic technology in the Star Wars universe is unrivaled in creativity and tech far beyond human comprehension. That being said, it certainly isn't all good! We took a look at some of the biggest fails in the Star Wars movies, from being able, to bring down an ATAT with a simple cable to light saber functionality, all the way to how the Death Star could possibly be blown up (not to mention crazy stats about the crew and construction). If you're a Star Wars fan, or like poking holes in movies, you won't want to miss this!

Regardless of your age, you have seen massive changes to televisions over the years. From old black and white TVs, to the addition of color, all the way to advanced LED systems, this technology has come a great way and continues to change. We've taken a big look to better understand how the tech behind television has changed, what some of the big inventions were that spurred on innovation, and much more.

It's that time of the year again! Time to try and find the perfect gift for that hard to shop for engineer in your life. Don't worry, we have you covered! We've combed the web for the best gift ideas for engineers of all ages, from kids that are mechanically inclined to retired engineers that just want to be left alone. All prices and sizes are covered, all you have to do is head to www.unprofessionalengineering.com and click on the link to buy your gifts!

If you've listened for some time, you know that Luke loves windmills, and James can't pronounce turbine. It only makes sense that we tackle both in one episode! We've looked at the history of the windmill, how they have changed over the years, and how wind turbines are changing the landscape of energy production.

After talking about the general history of car safety, we decided to dig into the details of two of our favorite safety features: crumple zones and anti-lock braking systems. Take a few minutes to learn how car makers are working to save your life.

Isaac Newton might be the most brilliant person ever. There, we said it. Gravity, laws of motion, rainbows, astronomy... the man did it all!! We walk through the life of Isaac Newton to try and understand how he came up with so much of the foundation of modern science, learn if the apple falling on his head story is true, and throw in a few other fun bits along the way.

Corning makes glass. Pretty boring, right? WRONG!! The history of the company is amazing, with ties to Thomas Edison and the "invention" of the light bulb and the development of one of the first R&D labs in America, Corning has lead the world into the future on more than one occasion. Join us to learn about how Corning got started, some of the major inventions that they came up with, as well as some fun stories on how everyday products like Pyrex got their start.

Happy Halloween!!! Your friends at Unprofessional Engineering have whipped up a real treat for you this year by looking at the manufacturing process for some of your favorite Halloween treats. We've looked at how Hershey's Reeses Cups are made, both the left and right side of a Twix, as well as the general process for gummy candy. In addition, Luke and James fight to the end about which candy is the best to end up in your bag of treats, as well as which ones are more of a trick.

Interested in engineering but don't know which field is right for you? We've taken a look at chemical engineering to help you narrow things down! From what your classwork will look like, to jobs you will do in the workforce, the top places to work, and even how much you can expect to make, we have it covered! Sure, it isn't as cool as Mechanical Engineering, but it might not be a bad choice.

We've changed things up a bit this week and sat down to debate where we think engineering and man-kind will be in the next 20 years. We give our views on the future of energy (comparing solar vs wind), if humans will live on Mars anytime soon, and much more! We even end things up with a few bold predictions. Take a listen and let us know what you think of our view on the future!

Have you ever wondered why we still have so many freaking lighthouses? Yeah, so did James. It turns out a lot of them are mostly just for show, but there are still a lot of them still in use. We take a look at the history of the lighthouse, how we went from a giant, thick lens, to the modern day way better deal, and even tell some of the greatest lighthouse stories of all time.

Telescopes have been around for hundreds of years, allowing us to explore space from the comfort of our local observatory. But how did the first one come about? And who were the great minds to continue to improve on the original design to make it what the telescope what it is today? We take a look at the early history of the telescope, discuss how people like Galileo and Newton contributed to it's progress, investigate the factors that go into the ideal place for an observatory, and touch on why the TMT (thirty meter telescope) is having trouble being built on Mauna Kea.

You can't find a much more important invention in the past 100 years than the airplane, and no one gets more love for pushing it forward than the Wright Brothers! Not only do we walk you through how the Wright Brothers invented the airplane (depending on your definition), but their childhood, what their far less interesting siblings did, and what life was like for them after their big invention got off the ground. See what I did there?!? Enjoy!

It's time for you to understand that airplanes don't run on magic, but by a little formula that can be used to calculate lift! This value is typically pretty close to the weight of the object, which makes sense, but the factors that go into the equation may not be as simple. Join us for a quick sit down on how lift is calculated, as well as an example of calculating lift on a 747!