In this special episode of Rocks for Jocks, I discuss the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland near the town of Grindavík! With live video streams and data from the Icelandic Meteorological Office, viewers get an in-depth look at magma flow, earthquake patterns, and the impact on local attractions like the Blue Lagoon. The video includes hazard maps, GPS data on ground deformation, and gas pollution trends. Despite massive disruptions, tourists can definitely keep visiting if they stay in the...

Welcome back to Rocks for Jocks! Today's episode is all about climate change, uncertainty, and the wild ride of asymmetric risks. Stick around to see why every tenth of a degree matters in this high-stakes climate game. Subscribe and join us on the journey towards a greener future! Cover image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polar_bear_watches_USCGC_Healy_230922-D-GO191-1035.jpg

Welcome to the latest episode of Rocks for Jocks! Today, we jump into the fascinating earth science discoveries I learned about during my trip to Iceland. I discuss Iceland's position on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, witness the breathtaking sights of a national park, and discover how magma, hot springs, and geysers interplay to create stunning natural features. Listen here! 00:00 Introduction and Iceland Trip Overview 01:43 Exploring Iceland's Tectonic Activity 03:23 The Formation of...

In this episode, I interview Rob Baxter, CEO and founder of CBC Wind Energy. We talk about the mechanical resilience, environmental impacts, and minimal infrastructure of CBC’s wind turbines, which are especially useful in disaster relief areas. Rob also shares insights on the broader role of renewables in diversified energy portfolios and offers advice for entrepreneurs in the energy space.  01:18 Innovative turbine designs 06:58 Cost and Efficiency of CBC's turbines 12:26 Optimal and...

In this episode, I interview Rob Baxter, CEO and founder of CBC Wind Energy. We talk about the mechanical resilience, environmental impacts, and minimal infrastructure of CBC’s wind turbines, which are especially useful in disaster relief areas. Rob also shares insights on the broader role of renewables in diversified energy portfolios and offers advice for entrepreneurs in the energy space.  01:18 Innovative turbine designs 06:58 Cost and Efficiency of CBC's turbines 12:26 Optimal and...

Privately funded Spacewalks! What are they? Why do they matter? Are they good or bad? Let's find out! Spacewalks are when astronauts leave their shuttle in outer space and are completely reliant on their spacesuits to keep living. Listen here to learn more! Sources: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220713-how-to-make-rocket-launches-less-polluting https://www.statista.com/statistics/564769/airline-industry-number-of-flights/ ...

Today, we're sharing a conversation with Laura Huepenbecker. With notable contributions to several professional movie and podcast productions, Laura continues to be a leader in the environmental media space. We talk about Laura’s experiences on a farm set for 3 years, soil research, and sheep pupils!

Alex jumps into the third and final part of his summary and review of Stephen Hawking's 'The Theory of Everything’. Lecture 6 covers the concept of time using thermodynamic, psychological, and cosmological arrows. Lecture 7 explores the search for a unified theory and its philosophical impacts (we promise no more big words). Cover image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In this episode, I dabble in lectures 3 through 5 of Stephen Hawking’s book, ‘The Theory of Everything’. We are talking Hawking’s shocking explanations of stars, black holes, and the Big Bang! Hawking tells a joke about the pope. I explain surface area using a baseball as an analogy — sports! I even ruminate briefly on how I imagine an infinite universe.  00:00 Intro 00:54 Lecture 3 09:13 Lecture 4 14:50 Lecture 5 Cover image from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, public domain...

In this episode, I interview Adel Asadi, PhD, who talks about his journey from Iran to Stanford University. Adel shares details from his academic career, including his achievements in mining, machine learning, and geohazards. He also offers a glimpse into his ongoing postdoctoral work and entrepreneurship at Stanford. 00:00 Introduction and Education  04:28 PhD Research: mining, remote sensing, geohazards 26:26 Postdoc vs. Industry 41:58 Plans and Advice

In this episode of 'Rocks for Jocks', I recap and discuss the first part of Stephen Hawking's book 'The Theory of Everything'. The book, despite its brevity and easy-to-understand language, has a lot information to go over. In this episode, I get through lectures 1 and 2 out of 7. 00:00 Overview & key takeaways of 'The Theory of Everything' 02:38 Lecture 1 06:45 Lecture 2

Today I explore the main impacts of climate change, a topic often covered in introductory earth science courses. I also talk about the basics of greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane, explaining how they trap heat and alter global weather patterns. 00:00 Defining Climate and Change 01:53 Major Impacts  06:04 Major Causes 10:46 Greenhouse Gases 13:02 Final...

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Christina, a PhD candidate at Tufts University. We talk further about Christina’s dissertation, the challenges she faced, and advice for rising engineers. 00:00 Christina's Dissertation 04:13 Fragility Functions & Empirical Data 08:48 Project Hurdles 16:14 Future Plans & Advice 23:56 Final Thoughts

In this episode I interviewed Christina Sanon, a Civil & Environmental Engineering PhD candidate at Tufts University. Christina discusses her academic journey, how concrete is used in structural engineering, and her research with earthquake damage data. We talk some specifics about Christina’s methodologies, including remote sensing, the preservation of time-sensitive data, and using machine learning for liquefaction assessment. 01:01 Christina's Academic Journey 07:10 Undergraduate...

This episode reviews the recent 4.8 magnitude New Jersey earthquake, its causes, and its implications. I also discuss a few other topics, including tectonic plates and fault lines, the rarity of significant earthquakes on the US East Coast, and different earthquake measurement scales. 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Tectonic Plates and Fault Lines 02:30 Intra Plate Events 03:26 Frequency and Magnitude Relationship 07:11 Earthquake Measurement Scales 10:46 Quakes and CC

In this episode, we discuss Marshall's graduate school projects in seismic site response and geotechnical engineering. In his projects, Marshall studied Mexico City's seismic response after the 2017 earthquake, then extend the application of his findings from Mexico City to New England. We also discuss F-naught, Vs 30, the publication process, and the practical applications of Marshall’s findings. 00:00 Intro 00:36 Exploring the Impact of Mexico City's Geology 06:15 Expanding...

In this episode, we discuss Marshall's life ranging from his academic journey to work with trail crews in the White Mountains. We talk about Marshall’s scientific accomplishments and his eventual career path in geotechnical engineering. Lastly, we discuss Marshall’s graduate school experiences, focusing on statistics, mentorship, and practical applications in the professional world. 00:00 Recording During COVID 01:08 High School to Geophysics 20:49 Unveiling the Fault 25:28 Grad School:...

This episode takes us on a journey through the history of early astronomy, from ancient astronomers observing the night sky to celestial sphere models. Using chapter 1 of "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" by Timothy Ferris, I discuss the evolution of scientific models, including the details and fabrications of Ptolemy. I consider the changing nature of theories and the endless possibilities for future discoveries.    00:00 Introduction 00:19 Discovering an Old Gem 01:54 Early Astronomy:...

In this episode I give an overview of plate tectonics by explaining their movements and characteristics. I discuss the different types of plate boundaries, the formation of mountain ranges and volcanoes, and the evidence supporting tectonics, including paleomagnetism, earthquakes, and the distribution of fossils.  00:33 Understanding Tectonic Plates and Their Movements 02:11 Exploring Plate Boundaries and Their Effects 04:51 Evidence Supporting Plate Tectonics Theory

Review of the Article "How much do labor costs drive inflation?" by Adam Hale Shapiro. Analysis of an economic letter published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, focusing on the impact of labor costs on inflation. I discuss the significance of core PCE inflation, the negligible effect of labor cost growth on inflation, and the effects of labor from both supply and demand perspectives. I wrap things up with some opinions and a call to explore more about wage increase effects on...

In this episode, I introduce my recently published paper, mostly completed during graduate school, titled “National Liquefaction Loss Database and Event-Level Fragility Functions”, published in the journal, Earthquake Spectra.   My goal is to simplify and explain the scientific concepts behind the paper, starting with the basic understanding of liquefaction as a natural phenomenon and its impact on infrastructure. We walk through different sections of the paper, including the abstract,...

Today we’re discussing an article called “Mining through the Valleys of Death” by the newsletter, Climate Tech Venture Capital. The article goes through topics including the importance of mining in the transition to renewable energies, highlighting the increased demand for rare earth elements, and the impact on supply chains. The article also touches on the concept of the 'valley of death' in mining projects and suggests methods to make mining processes more efficient and...

An interview with my friend, Aidan, about his work in academia and research. Our conversation covers Aidan’s academic and professional journey, starting from his high school years where he showed an interest in biology, to his experiences in college, graduate school, and his work in the professional world. Aidan shares insights about his research work in disease processes, his time in a lab during grad school, his shift into industry work in biotech for drug discovery, and his aspirations for...