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.

Continue Reading October 22nd, 2012 Eric Weinhoffer

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.

Continue Reading June 5th, 2012 Sean Michael Ragan2

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!

Continue Reading June 21st, 2011July 15th, 2015 Sean Michael Ragan

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!

Continue Reading June 14th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan4

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.

Continue Reading June 7th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan10

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.

Continue Reading March 20th, 2011 Chris Connors

Engineer Guy vs The LCD Monitor

For a few years now, I’ve had this hare-brained idea to try to separate the layers of polarizing film from a scrap LCD panel and make a polariscope out of them. So whenever I come across a dead one I tear it apart and do some experimenting. Probably been into half a dozen by now. But I’ve probably learned as much, or more, about how they actually work by watching Bill Hammack’s video this week. As always, this segment has something to offer novices, experts, and those, like myself, who know just enough to be dangerous. [Thanks, Bill!]

Continue Reading March 17th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan6