The Engineering Commons Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 59 — Engineering Technology Jul 10, 2014

Show notes

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, he’s pretty certain that Daft Punk is Technologic. Our guest for this episode is Mark … Continue reading Episode 59 — Engineering Technology →

Episode 58 — Miscellany Jun 26, 2014

Show notes

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 revising the Mechatronics course he taught the past two years. Although there are certain conceptual … Continue reading Episode 58 — Miscellany →

Episode 57 — What Engineers Do Jun 12, 2014

Show notes

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 to teach themselves to solve an entirely new class of problems. A gold-fish shaped retention … Continue reading Episode 57 — What Engineers Do →

Episode 56 — Analog Footsteps May 29, 2014

Show notes

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 Jeff and Brian discuss how analog computers have been replaced by digital computers, but digital signals have to be treated as analog waveforms as the bandwidth increases. Brian references the video game Asteroids in making an analogy about the relationship between analog … Continue reading Episode 56 — Analog Footsteps →

Episode 55 — Engines May 15, 2014

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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 the stages for a 4-stroke engine. For engineers not dealing with computers or software, an … Continue reading Episode 55 — Engines →

Episode 54 — Brain on a Stick May 01, 2014

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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 engineers in Silicon Valley. Adam notes that the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) placed a … Continue reading Episode 54 — Brain on a Stick →

Episode 53 — Storytelling Apr 17, 2014

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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 difficulties in dealing with customers, managers, and organizations. In a prior episode of this podcast, … Continue reading Episode 53 — Storytelling →

Episode 52 — Engineering Pranks Apr 01, 2014

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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 distillation of coal, and was widely used in the early and mid 20th century for … Continue reading Episode 52 — Engineering Pranks →

Episode 51 — Product Development Mar 21, 2014

Show notes

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 firms try to avoid a technology push, in which a novel technology is introduced to … Continue reading Episode 51 — Product Development →

Episode 50 — Art of Engineering Mar 07, 2014

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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 is Mike Parks, a systems engineer, Navy veteran, and licensed professional engineer with over 16 … Continue reading Episode 50 — Art of Engineering →

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