I think everyone was fascinated by trains, or more specifically, locomotives at some point in their life. Maybe it is thanks to Thomas the Train, or maybe just because they have been such an iconic part of the world for so long. Either way, they are amazing! In this episode, we looked back at how the locomotive got started, how the steam engine came and went (sort of), and how we've gotten to the newest hybrid model that is used today.

Acoustics is the science of sound! But what happens when the art and design of a massive building has to accommodate flawless acoustics as well? This is where architectural acoustics come into play. The talented Architectural Engineers and Architects of the world have mastered this skill, allowing us to enjoy pristine sound when at the theater, opera, and concerts. But how do they make it so a building or structure can look great and provide a great listening experience as well? That is...

We have all probably heard of it before, but do you know how high fructose corn syrup is made? Do you know that there are different types? Do you know what it is used for? Do you know how much high fructose corn syrup is in your favorite food? That is a lot of questions, and unless you are really into your health, you probably don't know these answers and might not want to! Too bad!!! Keep listening and learn everything there is to know about high fructose corn syrup, including if it is...

We've talked about how you could start blacksmithing at home, how medieval weapons were made, and even ranked the craziest torture devices of medieval times. But now, it is time to learn how different types of medieval armor were (or are?) made! From ring mail and chain mail to full blown plate mail armor, we discuss the differences in each, when one might use each, and the painstaking process used to handcraft each one.

When it comes to crazy and cool military technology, it is hard to think of something crazier than the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. Is it a helicopter? Is it an airplane? NO! IT IS BOTH!!! WHAT?!? We investigated why the United States military decided that it needed something that flies like a plane yet can also act like a helicopter. The Osprey, a shared project of Bell Helicopter and Boeing, is a tiltrotor military aircraft unlike anything else, and the design process was as well. We can't...

When it comes to great companies, it is hard to think of one more impactful than IBM (or International Business Machine Corporation to us in the know). Incorporated way back in 1911, the history of IBM actually dates back to the late 1800s. Learn how IBM got started, hear about their most impactful products, why their most well known machine Watson has that name, if IBM is as relevant today as ever, and of course, lots of war connections!

As we continue our series on great inventors, we have finally come to Samuel Morse. Not Morris; Morse. What all did he invent? Well, not really all that much, but the telegraph (and Morse Code) was a pretty good one! Take a trip through time with Unprofessional Engineering as we look back at the life of Samuel Morse, from his religious upbringing, to his time at Yale college, his love of art and painting of Dying Hercules, portraits of George Washington, and how the death of his first wife...

The Great Engineering Universities podcast series has gone global!! The first college that we reviewed outside of the United States is the University of Toronto; the premier engineering university of our friends to the north. We reviewed what it takes to get accepted into the University of Toronto (which is significantly different than colleges in the United States), their global program rankings, fun reasons you might want to attend in addition to their great programs, and so much more.

As we continue to explore the 7 modern wonders of the world, we have decided to discuss the construction and history of what is likely the most iconic of the wonders: the Taj Mahal! King Jahangir, in Agra, India, had the Taj Mahal built for his "favorite wife," Mumtaz Mahal. It was built to be her final resting place, the fanciest mausoleum of all time. Romantic, right? What resulted is one of the most iconic buildings in the world! Thanks to tens of thousands of works, elephants galore,...

In this episode of our great engineering universities series, we head to the deep south to investigate the Georgia Institute of Technology. Founded way back in 1885 as the Georgia School of Technology, this storied university has grown to become one of the top engineering colleges in the United States, and even the world. Learn what it takes to get in to Georgia Tech, the acceptance rate for students, how you can help your chances of acceptance, the rankings of their engineering programs,...

The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is the most advanced military helicopter in the world! Well, probably... Rumor has it, after the Vietnam war, the importance of helicopters was made clear, but the old Cheyanne was too slow on the attack and not well equipped for countering the heavily armored tanks of the USSR. After a quick contest to see who could make the coolest (or maybe best?) helicopter, the contract was awarded to Hughes Helicopters (now Boeing is pumping them out). There's way...

There are tons of new inventions showing up every day, but what about those inventions from years ago that got us to where we are today? In this episode of Unprofessional Engineering, we looked back at the most important and interesting inventions that came from the 1930s. Some HUGE inventions such as nuclear fission and the jet engine are still changing the world and being improved today, where others like the chocolate chip cookie and Twinkies seem like (very important) inventions from...

Who doesn't love fresh honey?? In your tea, on your toast, stuffing a spoonful into your mouth...mmm!!!! But what about the work that goes into making this delicious golden nectar? We've looked into the entire process! From the roles of the different bees to all of the work they put in creating honey, and then how humans go and steal this tasty treat. We also looked into some new technology that is being used to help beekeepers produce more honey while reducing risks to their colony.

There are tons of famous engineers out there who have designed life changing things or made ground breaking discoveries. But what about those that are famous for something other than engineering? In this episode of Unprofessional Engineering, we take a look at a number of engineers that found a different path in life. From Mr. Bean, who was an electrical engineer by education, to Alfred Hitchcock and even President Peanut (Jimmy Carter) himself!

We're taking a look at personal transporters, and we don't me things like boring old cars! Think about the travel of the future, or at least that looks like it is from the future. Segways, the Halfbike, eFOLDi, hover boards and more! We don't just talk about the future, of course, but we look at the past to see how personal transporters got to where they are today, starting back in 1915 with the Autoped. In addition, we look at some of the technology that is used to make these contraptions...

Thanks to the movies, Petra may be the most recognizable of all of the modern 7 Wonders of the World. If it doesn't ring a bell, think about Indiana Jones entering a crazy looking temple built into the side of a mountain. Yeah, that's real!! We explore the history of Petra, how the Nabateans constructed this intricate city, the various rulers, uses of the trade city, and of course, the engineering behind this marvel.

We are all probably familiar with telescopes. You set them up in your house and creep on your neighbors with them, right? Well, NASA and the other space programs are creeping on our neighbors in space as well, thanks to space telescopes! We discuss the different types of space telescopes (such as gamma ray, x-ray, infrared, and more), what they are used for, the history of sending telescopes to space, as well as some of the most famous space telescopes ever (including Hubble, Fermi, LISA,...

There are hundreds of satellites floating around out in space that we depend on every day for a number of things, from gps to internet for some, but they are even more important for the simple needs that we have. Satellites are used to help us understand the cosmos, from how black holes are formed to how the universe was born. They help us to look back in time, all the way to when the big bang happened, to educate us on the creation of life. Learn all there is to know about satellites,...

It is hard to believe that aliens weren't involved in the construction of many ancient structures (right, Luke?), and this is certainly the case for the 7 modern wonders of the world! We have kicked off a new mini-series that is looking at the engineering and history behind the 7 modern wonders of the world, starting with Chichen Itza in the heart of Mexico. We discuss how it is thought to have been built, the changes that have taken place over the years, what caused the city to be...

What started out as a small gunpowder manufacturer on the Delaware river turned into one of the most diverse and innovative companies ever; DuPont! Sure, a few explosions nearly whipped DuPont off the map but they bounced back better than ever, now completely divested from the gunpowder industry. Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours was the mastermind behind DuPont, which continued on as a family owned company for many years to come. Learn how DuPont went from gunpowder to dynamite, and on...

Many everyday items that we take for granted were not actually invented all that long ago. Things like television, frozen food, penicillin, and insulin were only invented (or discovered) 100 years ago! My grandma was probably around then!! In this episode, we look back at the greatest and worst inventions of the 1920s to see what that decade had to offer in innovation. It is hard to pick, but we also narrow the list down to our favorite and least favorite invention of the decade.

As we continue to explore the best engineering universities in the world, we have picked Stanford as our next engineering college to focus on. Across the board, Stanford is ranked in the top 5 (or even the top 2) for nearly every engineering discipline. Not only do we discuss the different engineering programs Stanford offers, we also look back at the history of Leland Stanford, how the university go started, the demographics of the student body, the real cost to attend, and other...

There maybe have been no greater time for economic growth an efficiency than during the first Industrial Revolution. It was during the Industrial Revolution that a lot of work, from textiles to agriculture, moved from highly manual work to become much more automated. In addition, the number of significant inventions that arose at this time were extremely important for growing nations. From the steam engine to the cotton gin, the number of intentions that improved lives around this time are...

FIRST Robotics might be the most influential STEM activity that high school and younger students can participate in. Heck, most of those involved with FIRST Robotics are probably better engineers than we are, without having gone to college! Learn what it takes to get started with FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), from giant piles of cash to the time commitment from everyone involved. We also discuss the FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge.

Did your parents ever yell at you for playing to many video games? Did they tell you that video games will never help you in the future? Well, maybe they were wrong! Just don't tell them we said so... Some studies have shown that kids that play video games have better hand eye coordination and therefore make better surgeons. What about engineers? We looked through some of our favorite video games that are great training for engineers, both young and old. From old school games like Tetris...