The Engineering Commons Podcast

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 Jeff and Brian discuss how analog computers have been replaced by digital computers, but digital signals have to be treated as analog waveforms as the bandwidth increases.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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) reports that women now comprise around 14% of … Continue reading Episode 49 — Women in Engineering →

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 can be a frustrating process. Our guest for this episode is Bob Schmidt, an electrical … Continue reading Episode 48 — Troubleshooting →

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 complexity to require a project manager. Since Adam has a certificate in Project Management, he … Continue reading Episode 47 — Project Management →

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 his new house, and can convert the Dr. Suess bedroom into a office, he will … Continue reading Episode 46 — Review 2013 →

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 has gotten to work on a lot of interesting projects, and meet many fascinating people. … Continue reading Episode 45 — Success →

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 take the sure money. According to the article “The Five Neglects: Risks Gone Amiss,” (Berger, … Continue reading Episode 44 — Ambiguity →

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 tweeted about Christmas Ale from the Great Lakes Brewing Company, and we inquire about his … Continue reading Episode 43 — Context →

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 engineers are familiar with their usage. Our guest is Erica Lee Garcia, a Professional Engineer … Continue reading Episode 42 — Six Sigma →

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 his own devices, he would spend his days watching Seinfeld reruns. Our guest, Sophi Kravitz, … Continue reading Episode 41 — Going Solo →

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 the movies Real Genius and Sneakers for their representations of quasi-engineers. Our guest, Stefan Jaeger, … Continue reading Episode 40 — Engineering Fiction →