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In our endless pursuit to educate our listeners in the various career options available to them, we have decided to look into Industrial Design and what it takes to become an Industrial Designer. We look into typical classwork for Industrial Design, how much you can expect to make, companies that typically hire you, and what your day to day will likely look like as an Industrial Designer. Oh, and we have a special shout out! If you have kids and want YouTube to babysit them, go check out Mackenzie's Book Nook! Not only does she read great books, but she is my niece, so you know it must be great! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMA2zJ3vmnOWjmMiGub-i8w

The periodic table of elements makes the world go round! Or at least it makes up the world and universe. One of the coolest parts of the periodic table is the noble gases: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson. We investigate where these elements can be found in nature, if at all, look into their material properties, and discuss how they can be used in our daily lives. Oh, and we see if they will kill you!

One of the great American brands, John Deere has a long and interesting history that has helped to shape the development of the United States as well as the rest of the world. From a simple blacksmith to the head of a giant company, John Deere created one of the most iconic and influential companies in America's history. Learn how he got his start and how the company has expanded over the years.

Who doesn't like heading out to the hills after a fresh snowfall and jumping on a sled? But what makes one sled faster than another, and why does it work in the first place? We look into the history of sledding (thanks to our friends in Canada and Russia!), the engineering behind sled riding, and determine which sleds are the best bang for your buck.

Continuing on with our interview of Dr. Martin Fisher of KickStart International, we dive into how his team is able to design and manufacture cost effective solutions to poverty stricken regions of Africa, enabling small scale farmers to grow. From product design to material selection and manufacturing needs, Dr. Fisher walks us through the process that KickStart International uses to help make the world a better place.

Did you know that 80% of the poor in Africa are small-scale farmers? Due to the lack of rain, most only get 1 harvest per year, which means many farming families go hungry and fall back into poverty the rest of the year. KickStart International is a non-profit social enterprise with a mission to lift millions of people out of poverty quickly, cost-effectively, and sustainably. Unprofessional Engineering was lucky enough to catch up with Dr. Martin Fisher, Co-founder and CEO of KickStart International, to learn about how KickStart came to be, how they are attacking poverty in Africa, and how engineering is being used to help millions to make a better living. Do you want to make a difference? Help by donating to KickStart International: https://kickstart.org/get-involved/#donate

Are you struggling to find the perfect Christmas (or holiday) gift for that special engineer in your life? You have come to the right place!! Unprofessional Engineering has done the tough part of Christmas shopping for you by breaking down great gift ideas for engineers and aspiring engineers of all ages, all from $10 and up! Kick back with your glass of eggnog, try not to dump it out because it is gross, and find out what Christmas gifts you should be buying for your engineer.

Are you interested at learning the VERY basics of Raspberry Pi and Arduino? Do you want to know what the differences are between the two and when one might be more useful than the other? Just like listening to us talk regardless of topic? Look no further! Don't expect to be an expert from listening to us, but this will teach you how to use a Raspberry Pi or Arduino for your next STEM project. Heck, you might even create a smart home thanks to us.

Do you remember how excited everyone was for Google Glass to be released? And then... well, what happened? The glasses themselves were uncomfortable, they looked a little less than appealing, and the functionality wasn't nearly as futuristic as we hoped. We look into why Google Glass failed and discuss if it could have been avoided, or at least what could be learned for future efforts in the space.

Tower Bridge (not to be confused with London Bridge) is one of the most famous tourist attractions in all of London, if not the world. Not only is it really cool looking, but the way it works and it's long history is also pretty great. From the original construction of Tower Bridge, to the multiple facelifts, how the drawbridge mechanism works, and even a borderline "secret passage," we look into all the aspects of this fan favorite so that you can impress your friends on your next trip to London.

OK, so SpaceX might not be a company that built this world, but it is looking like it might be the company that builds the next one. SpaceX has quickly gone from an idea of cheaper space travel from the brilliant mind of Elon Musk to having NASA count on them to get resources and people to the International Space Station. Learn all about the history of SpaceX, from the original idea, to coming up with a plan for reusable rockets, sending people to the ISS, and even their plans to get the first people to Mars.

Battlebots, or Robot Wars as it was originally known, has everything an engineer could want. Extreme part design, custom fabrication, and destruction!!! We take a look how Battlebots got it's start, some of the greatest "contestants" of all time, the rules behind Battlebots, and even what it takes to build your own Battlebot. What more could you ask for in a STEM project, hobby, or amazing podcast episode?

Thinking about getting into engineering but don't know where to start? Already have a degree in Material Science and Engineering and curious about other job options out there? Look no further! We investigate the classes you will take in Material Science and Engineering, the top universities to attend, the type of work you will do, companies that hire Material Science and Engineering majors, and how much you can expect to make.

Do you want to raise your pumpkin carving game but don't know where to start? We are here for you! From the tools you can use to make pumpkin carving easier, to tips to help your jack-o-lantern last longer, all the way to turning your pumpkin into a STEM project, you won't want to miss this! As a bonus, Luke covers Halloween safety for kids and adults alike, we learn how the tradition of pumpkin carving came about (have you heard of Stingy Jack?), and we even look into the economics of scoring the most Halloween candy when you're out knocking on doors.

Computational Fluid Dynamics, or CFD, is a form of simulation that predicts how fluids and gases will interact together and with their surroundings. This can be used for everything from HVAC optimization to improving vehicle performance. CFD might sound scary, but we break it down to the basics to help everyone understand how to use computational fluid dynamics and why it is so important. Trust me! Even my mom has learned to understand CFD.... it just took a couple decades.

We're wrapping up our three part series on concussions with Trifecta Sports Solutions by discussing how they are using engineering techniques like advanced simulation (such as Finite Element Analysis) and new materials to design a football helmet that will significantly reduce concussions. Join us to hear about how they have taken this idea and made it a reality with the help of great institutes like Michigan State University, as well as what hurdles are left to overcome before we can expect to see their helmet on the field.

We were joined by the amazing up and comers of Trifecta Sports Solutions to understand what they are doing to make sports safer for us to play, starting with football helmet design and expanding out to other concussion heavy activities. Their story started with a high school design competition and has spiraled into working with outstanding universities such as Michigan State University to make this idea a reality. Join us in hearing how they came up with the idea, the technology behind the design, and where things are going in the future.

An injury that anyone can get from playing sports to a little trip and fall, concussions have been a huge topic of conversation over the past handful of years, but what do we really know about them? Join us for this three part series with Trifecta Sports Solutions on what concussions are, the leading causes, symptoms, various ways to evaluate and classify them, and what we are doing to help reduce the number of concussions across the board.

Transistors are the unsung hero of modern technology, and the rate that they are improving (or at least were improving) is astonishing! We take a look back at the first transistors developed by companies such as Bell Labs and Texas Instruments, all the way up to modern transistors in use by companies like AMD and Intel.

Model railroading has been a popular hobby for decades, but have you thought about all the forms of engineering that go into it? What a great way to get kids interested in STEM and STEAM! We were luck enough to be joined by President of Walthers (the leading name in model railroading), Stacey Walthers Naffah, to discuss the connections between model railroading and engineering, the history of model railroads, and the Walther's Full STEAM Ahead initiative to help kids get into the hobby and learn important skills along the way. Interested in learning more about Full STEAM Ahead? Visit the Walther's website here: https://trains.walthers.com/full-steam-ahead