OK, OK.... before you start yelling at us about Boston Dynamics not being a company that built the world, it is just the series title. Is that better? Even if Boston Dynamics didn't "build the world," they are still doing some next level cool stuff!! Everyone has seen their fancy walking robot dogs or running humanoid robots, even if they didn't know that Boston Dynamics was behind them. We went way back (not really, Boston Dynamics isn't that old) to learn how the company got their start, explored the various projects that the government kindly funded to keep them afloat, learned about the multiple acquisitions of Boston Dynamics, and discuss their most popular robots!

Unprofessional Engineering

Companies That Built the World: Boston Dynamics - Episode 286

We hear a lot about "the grid," especially during times of inclement weather, but do you understand how the power grid works? Take a listen to understand how electricity makes its way from the power plant to your home and all of the step (ups and down) in between. In addition, we'll discuss the three main power grids in the United States, how they connect together, how power levels are controlled across them, and what causes power grid failure.

How Does the Power Grid Work? - Episode 285

What started as a deep dive on Nikolaus Otto ended as a second installment of inventors that are famous for just a single invention. Why did this happen? Well, because Nikolaus Otto didn't do a whole lot other than the four stroke engine, but that sure was a great invention!! In addition to Otto, we discuss others like Laszlo Biro, Samuel Morse, John Walker (not to be confused with Johnnie Walker) and more. They may have only invented one thing, but each one was a real hit.

Inventors Famous for One Invention - Episode 284

Food preservation has been around for many centuries, and taken on various forms. How else do you think early man was able to keep all of that t-rex meat fresh?! We look back on when food preservation began, how the forms have changed over the years, what the differences are between the different food preservation methods, when you should use which method, and, of course, the science and chemistry behind what is happening to your food when you preserve it.

History of Preserving Food - Episode 283

When you think about air travel, what comes to mind? Cramped seats, hours of time wasted, and gross airports? Well, the airports would still be an issue, but the Concorde helped with some of the other problems! We looked at the plane that set the record for fastest commercial flight, going from New York to London in around 3 and a half hours! Wow!! Sure, it was so noisy that it was only allowed to fly over the ocean for the most part, but that is the price for speed. Learn all about the Concorde, how it was engineered, the various companies involved, and why this engineering marvel eventually had an early retirement.

The Concorde - Episode 282

You don't get much more cutting edge engineering and technology than with military vehicles. From tanks to planes and everything in-between (what does a hovercraft even even count as??), the military develops some of the coolest tech around. Luke and James searched through the archives to come up with their top 10 military vehicles of all time. Ranging from the Challenger 2 battle tanks, to the Black Hawk helicopter, and even including some more unique creations like the AAV-7A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle, there is something for everyone. Which will be crowned the coolest of all time? Nobody knows, and the criteria it is picked on is hazy at best, but one thing is for sure; these vehicles are awesome!

Coolest Military Vehicles EVER - Episode 281

With the new year almost here, and it likely that many of you are going to overindulge in celebration, it felt like the perfect time to investigate the science behind two horrible things: hiccups and hangovers! We've looked into what causes both hiccups and hangovers (no, not just "alcohol," but the process that results from alcohol consumption) and researched what the most likely cures are, if any. We also share some of our favorite home remedies that probably don't work as well! There might also be a hangover story or two in there... Happy New Year!!

Hiccups and Hangovers - Episode 280

As a special holiday gift, we dove into the engineering behind a modern'ish Christmas classic: Home Alone!! Kevin McCallister, less well known as Macaulay Culkin, sets up tons of traps for two less than capable burglars to bumble through as he protects his house. But would these traps actually work? And just how dangerous are they? We looked into all of them (OK, only the ones we deemed interesting enough) to see what the math says to help us engineer this Christmas favorite.

Home Alone Traps: Would They Work? - Episode 279

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! The Unprofessional Engineering Christmas gifts episode for those hard to shop for engineers in your life!!! Whether you are shopping for the pinnacle of engineers, the Mechanical Engineer, all the way down to the Civil Engineers playing in the dirt, we have a gift recommendation that they would love, from stocking stuffer to giant presents if they've been really good this year. In addition, we've picked out some of our favorite gift ideas for the aspiring engineer of nearly all ages. OK, so maybe not a two year old, but can we really tell they will be an engineer? Are we better than Santa? Probably. But either way, at least we can help you pick out a great gift for any engineer!

Christmas Gifts for Engineers: 2021 - Episode 278

We spend a lot of time discussing how great engineering is and all of the amazing successes that have come from it over the years. Not all engineering projects are a success, though. We have looked back in time and picked out some of the greatest engineering disasters of all time. Some, like the Titanic or Challenger disaster, are well known, but others like the molasses flood of Boston or gas explosion in Cleveland are less talked about. How do you not talk about a molasses flood?! Join us to learn about some of the biggest engineering failures of all time and the oversights that caused these to occur.

Engineering Disasters - Episode 277

When you discuss top engineering universities in the United States, Carnegie Mellon University will almost certainly come up regardless of the engineering (or computer science) discipline. If you are thinking about getting a degree in engineering, want to relive your glory days from college, or maybe you're just curious about what sets one university apart from another, this episode and series are for you! Learn how Carnegie Mellon University ranks across the various engineering disciplines, just how smart you have to be to get in, some tips to stand out amongst the crowds, how much it costs to get your degree, and the top reasons to go to CMU!

Great Engineering Universities: Carnegie Mellon - Episode 276

Sometimes even what seems to be the simplest invention has a long and interesting history, and certainly isn't an instant success. That was the case with one of the most well known materials around today; Velcro! It all started when George de Mestral noticed some annoying burrs on his dog after a walk, and unknowingly used biomimicry to recreate this over time, creating Velcro! Of course, NASA gets credit for the invention much of the time, but in reality, they only made it a cool and futuristic item to have at home. Learn about the rest of the Velcro history, how it is mass produced, some unique uses for it, and much more!

Everything Velcro - Episode 275

If you're thinking about getting into engineering, finding a new job in your field, or curious how much you should be getting paid, you don't want to miss this series on different fields of engineering. This time, we are focused on "What is Control Systems Engineering." Or Controls Engineering. Or Systems Engineering.... OK, you get the point. We've reviewed the top US and global universities for a Control Systems Engineering degree, the classes that you take (warning, there is a lot of Electrical Engineering and Comp Sci going on here), who likes to hire your, how much you'll get paid, and so much more!

What Is Control Systems Engineering - Episode 274

The B-2 Stealth Bomber, also known as the Northrup Grumman Spirit, is a long-range US bomber. It might be the most well-known plane in the US military, but much about its technology and capabilities is still unknown to the public. Designed during the Cold War, the Stealth Bomber is the world's first first low-observation (or stealth) bomber. In addition to being crazy sneaky, it also holds the record for longest flight time! What can't this thing do?! Learn everything that there is to know (for the public, at least) about the B-2 Bomber, from history to famous movies that it has appeared in.

B-2 Stealth Bomber - Episode 273

Pennsylvania State University (otherwise known as Penn State) has a long history as a top engineering school in the United States. In our new series on great engineering universities, we decided to focus on Penn State, not only because James is an alum, but because it is actually a great school as well! Starting as a land grant school back in the 1800s, Penn State was one of the first universities to focus on engineering as a stand-alone major, and eventually became the first university with a nuclear reactor to support its nuclear engineering program. Learn all about how the school got started, how it's engineering programs rank, how much you can expect to make as a Penn State graduate, and some famous Penn State engineers that you may have heard of.

Great Engineering Universities: Penn State - Episode 272

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