LASER: Materials Science Podcast

Episode 21 – Underground with Dr. Sarah Truebe

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 23:47:55 +0000

Discussion of what we can learn form caves, how they are studied, and some ethics of studying sensitive cave features.

Episode 20 – Room Temperature Superconductivity Controversy

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 05:46:16 +0000

Discussion about recent controversy surrounding a claim of room temperature superconductivity. Very exciting claims, but because it isnt verified and there are some questions about the manuscript, this is treated almost as a review of the pre-print, with a short description of data issues found by Brian Skinner.

Episode 19 – 2015 Perihelion Edition

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 22:04:23 +0000

Welcome to 2015! This year's perihelion edition was recorded on the day which the earth is closest to the sun. We cover a diverse list of important scientific and engineering happenings from 2014, and even talk about a little biology and genomics research! (but don't worry, its mostly cool physics, space, and engineering stuff.)

Episode 18 – Space Space Space

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 21:02:05 +0000

This week we discuss Space X and Boeing contracts to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station by 2018, and some new luxuries that will soon be available on the ISS; a 3-D printer, and an espresso machine!

PULSE! #4 – Better Coffee Through Chemistry

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 15:47:27 +0000

Most coffee-particular people already know that the quality of the water you use is important for good coffee, but a recent paper describes how affecting the specific hard mineral content can have important changes in the relative extraction of specific flavor and strength affecting chemicals in your brew. We discuss the basics of coffee preparation, and the conclusions of the paper.

Episode 17 – Life, The Universe, and Frogs

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 22:52:42 +0000

This week on LASER we discuss a realistic computer simulation of a universe, a proposed mechanism for why tin whiskers are destroying our most sensitive computers, and GaInSn liquid metal used to reconnect severed nerves in frogs.

Episode 16 – Sun & Surf

Fri, 16 May 2014 18:44:46 +0000

For our first episode of the summer on LASER: Let's Agree Science & Engineering are Rad, we discuss our own Chris' recently-accepted paper about inorganic ZnS window layers on organic solar cells. These increase the efficiency, and help protect the cell from environmental damage. We then talk about the NRL Press release describing long-chain hydrocarbon fuel (jet fuel) they have made by extracting CO2 and Hydrogen from seawater!

LASER Pulse! #3 – The Heartbleed

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 03:50:22 +0000

This week's LASER Pulse! is about the Heartbleed computer vulnerability. We cover the basics of the heartbleed bug, why its important, and mention that you really need to CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS. Because this is a Pulse episode, there are little to no edits (just the intro and outro really), and the whole show is only about 20 minutes.

Episode 15 – Airships for the Future

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:29:55 +0000

The cast of the Technically Speaking Podcast join us to talk with about the future of super rad airships for scientific use--similar to satellites! We also talk about a company planning a new method for extracting Lithium from geothermal vents, to meet the needs of the Tesla Giga-Factory.

Episode 14 – Filters and Photodetectors

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 15:39:49 +0000

On Episode 14 of LASER we discuss using tree branches as water filters, a new type of super-thin room temperature infrared light detector that uses graphene, and the $1 Origami Microscope.

Episode 13 – Microgravity

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 07:01:31 +0000

This week is all about Microgravity! Chase and Cameron interview some members of the ASU Dust Devils Experiment about their plans to take dust into microgravity and learn more about how planets are formed! Then we talk about ISS experiments for fighting fires in space and on the ISS, and finally cooling atoms down to the lowest temperatures ever achieved to learn about and perform experiments for quantum mechanics.

Episode 12 – Laserbones

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:00:42 +0000

On this week's show-- Laserbones--Chris and Cameron discuss laser-3-D-Printed materials based on bones (lasers & bones), the use of cremated remains for synthetic diamonds (bones), and potential space mirror technologies made out of laser-trapped polystyrene beads (lasers)! We also have our first iTunes review!

Episode 11 – Plant Materials

Wed, 12 Feb 2014 19:49:50 +0000

This week on LASER we have a plant materials themed episode where we discuss cellulose nanocrystals for use in composites, using plants as wires for computing, and using green tea to synthesize gold nano-stars for cancer treatments, drug delivery, and photonics.

Episode 10 – Perovskites, Gold, and 3-D Metal Printing

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 23:39:46 +0000

This week on LASER we discuss Perovskite solar cells with organic charge transport layers, the horrible health effects of illegal backyard gold ore refining in Indonesia, and a new free open source metal 3-d printer from Michigan Tech. This show is also the first one we ever recorded entirely over the internet.

Short Update & Help LASER!

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 18:36:49 +0000

Just a quick update about our plans for the future, and some begging for ratings and reviews, topic suggestions, and interviews.

Now that we’re 10 episodes deep, and finally getting the hang of this podcasting thing, its time to start trying to expand our listener base, and make a couple changes to the show. We’re going to start recording short pieces trying to explain specific topics or experimental techniques in materials science & engineering. We would also like to start inviting people involved in interesting things onto the show, and discussing with them.

So please help us out by leaving a rating and review, telling people about us, and if you are doing something interesting or know somebody else who is, please email us at cameron-at-lsaerpodcast-dot-com! Do the same if you have any STEM topic you want us to discuss.

Thanks,
Cameron

Episode 9 – Space, Robots, & the FUTURE

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 06:48:16 +0000

This week on LASER, a super-sized cast discusses Semiconductor design/processing, Google robots and the DARPA robotics Challenge, a proposed form of space-based propulsion called e-sails, and the extension of the ISS mission until at least 2020!

Episode 8 – Special Perihelion Edition

Sun, 05 Jan 2014 06:47:52 +0000

This is our special perihelion edition, where we celebrate being closest to our sun by reviewing some of the best science and engineering stories of 2013. Today we're a whopping 4% closer to the sun than at the furthest point. This episode spans many different subject areas, but is extremely disorganized, so please don't take this as a representative of usual episodes. We'll be back to better shows next week.

Episode 7 – The Battery Outbreak

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:55:36 +0000

This week on LASER, Emily and Cameron discuss batteries built by modified viruses, charge-dependent crystal changes of Lithium/Selenium-Sulfer Batteries, and Microbiological fuel cells built on natural loofah sponges.

Episode 6 – Fukushima Roll

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 04:51:36 +0000

In Episode 6 - Fukushima Roll - we discuss whether tuna contaminated by the Fukushima disaster is safe to eat, canceled plans for a wind farm off the coast of the UK, and a new advancement in nanostructuring superhydrophobic materials for even better waterproof surfaces.

Episode 5 – Old News

Wed, 20 Nov 2013 16:03:23 +0000

In Episode 5 - Old News, we discuss "space" tourism balloons (Hindenburg), photonic crystals applied to photovoltaic solar cells, and million year data storage in fancy Q-R codes (iPods for immortal elves?).

Pulse! 2 – 3D Printed Liquid Metal Microstructures

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 00:56:26 +0000

This week, the Pulse episode is a story we had to cut from Episode 4. The show would have been way too long otherwise, so we chopped off the last story, and put it here for you! We're talking about 3D Printing of Free Standing Liquid Metal Microstructures.

Episode 4 – Rigid Opaque Governing Bodies

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 07:13:35 +0000

In Episode 4 of LASER, we discuss new ionic conductor materials with applications in biomedicine and in technology, talk with Ben Tippett of the Titanium Physicists Podcast about the politics of scientific funding in Canada, and how the US government shutdown affected scientists.

Episode 3 – Lasers, Lasers Everywhere

Mon, 14 Oct 2013 20:08:08 +0000

This week on LASER we discuss Light Sabers, building Atomic Force Microscopes out of LEGO, a short film from IBM Research Labs, water on Mars, and blasting asteroids with tiny laser satellites, with only a little off-topic discussion of webcomics and scifi movies...

Episode 2- A Giant Leap for Frogkind

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 16:06:37 +0000

We have two new hosts for this episode, Sivan and Matt co-host with Cameron. The discussion includes spider silk coated with carbon nanotubes, the Voyager 1 space probe leaving the solar system, Frank the Frog, the most accurate atomic clock to date, and architectural mishaps that put some people in hot water (har har). See the full show notes at http://laserpodcast.com

Pulse! 1 Glass, Graphene, and Magnesium

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 18:27:25 +0000

Here is the first LASER Pulse! episode. These are short 10-30 minute updates that will fit in between the regular fortnightly release schedule. Today’s show briefly covers three new materials science news stories that otherwise wouldn’t make it to the full-length shows.

The topics we talk about are:

“Guinness Record: World’s Thinnest Glass Is Just Two Atoms Thick” – Science Daily

“3-D Graphene–Solar Power’s next Platinum?” – Michigan Tech

“Fuel-efficient cars, planes cheaper with Magnesium drawn from ocean” – Phys.org

The next full-length episode is ready to be released on Monday, September 30th.

Episode 1 – A Thin Veneer of Podcast

Mon, 16 Sep 2013 16:08:04 +0000

Here’s the very first episode of LASER! Let us know what you think in the comments. Today we discuss how ancient artifacts were gold coated, a new form of carbon called “carbyne,” and how scientific data is published and shared.

Show Notes:

2:30 Alex introduces himself as “The Slinky” instead of troll king. Or, you know, just using his name.

3:00 We have some trouble with Italian pronunciation, but eventually find out that we’re talking about the article: “Ancient technology for metal coatings 2,000 years ago can’t be matched even today” (here’s the full paper)

9:25 Cameron can’t remember that the “nozzle” in extrusion is called a “die,” and he also doesn’t remember what calendering is.

10:40 We get to the “can’t be matched even today” claim

21:25 Alex briefly explains how a cricket’s knee works

24:44 The gang drinks some homebrew cider

27:05 Cameron gets a little angry at famous carbon nanotube research groups

29:40 We stop arguing and get to the point. Emily inroduces “New Form of Carbon is Stronger Than Graphene and Diamond” and the paper is published on arxiv.org, so its available to everyone here!

35:49 Instead of discussing the actual article (“How to share Scientific Data“) Cameron mostly soapboxes about open access journals and publication of negative results (see PLOS and JUNQ)

and we discuss the Pub Peer service for commenting on academic papers.

47:45 Yes, you can grow carbon nanotubes with lasers.

48:14 Closing statements and our twitter account!

50:56 the blooper reel begins

Music for this episode:

Sunny Place, Shady People by Bomb the Music industry (free album)
A Shine To It by Laura Stevenson and the Cans
Cider for Breakfast by Great Cynics (http://kindoflikerecords.com/-website down at time of writing)
Riverside by The Wild (album also available for free)