Countering the Pink Aisle With Engineering Toys for Girls
We need to up-end the pink toy aisles in our toystores, and get more STEM-related kits and toys on the shelves that will appeal to the girls who will be our leaders tomorrow.
engineering
Santa Rosa Engineering Class Visits MAKE
Last week, students from Santa Rosa Junior College’s Introduction to Engineering Profession class stopped by MAKE’s lab. Many of the students are unsure of which type of engineering they’d like to go into in the future and the class allows them to get their feet wet in multiple disciplines, as well as go on a few awesome field trips. Although many engineering college curriculums are lacking in the hands-on department, we think that being able to make things is an extremely important skill for high school and college students alike.
Engineer Guy vs. Frickin’ Lasers
In this, the fourth installment of Engineer Guy Series #4, Bill, Patrick, and Nick show off the engineering that accounts for three key characteristics of laser light: single wavelengths, narrow beams, and high intensities. Highlights include laser retinal surgery, the difference between phosphorescence and fluorescence, and a rather more sophisticated treatment of laser physics than is common in popular science.
Engineer Guy on Fiber Optics
In this, the last installment of the third series of Bill Hammack’s wildly popular Engineer Guy videos, Bill exposes the wonders of fiber optics. He starts by demonstrating transmission of laser light through a fiber optic stereo cable, then explains total internal reflection with a really cool visual aid made from a bucket of antifreeze. There are details on the manufacture of the fibers themselves, the design of the first transatlantic fiber optic cable, and the signal processing used to encode data for transmission via fiber. All that, and more, in just five minutes and thirty seconds. Nice way to wound out series #3, Bill!
Engineer Guy on Cell Phone Design
Bill Hammack’s video this week explains the constraints that govern the engineering of cell phones, and how and why the development of key technologies has changed the way cell phones look and function. He also shows off the 8pen gestural keyboard app installed on his Android, which I immediately had to download and try for myself. Thanks, Bill, as always!
Engineer Guy vs The Computer Hard Drive
Bill’s back! And his subject this week may be the ultimate example of a truly astounding piece of engineering that we all tend to take for granted: The computer hard drive. A favorite college physics professor once admitted to me that the hard disk drive impressed him more than almost any other single piece of modern technology, and I have since found that, the more I think about it, the more I agree with him. As always, Bill Hammack does a great job of explaining things in a way that will appeal to both experts and amateurs.
Wellesley College Engineering
Friday afternoon, I was vising my friend Amon Millner at Olin College. After finishing up, he invited me to go with him to the nearby Wellesley College and the Engineering Studio. Not knowing quite what to expect, but always interested in seeing hands-on learning spaces, I went along for the ride. What I saw took my breath away and left me speechless. It is still a bit mind boggling to consider what this lab has, and the amazing ideas that have come from it.