LASER: Materials Science Podcast

Episode 21 – Underground with Dr. Sarah Truebe

July 01, 2020 23:47 - 51 minutes - 30.7 MB

In this episode Cameron interviews Dr. Sarah Truebe, the cave resource manager at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona. This episode was recorded underground at the end of a day we spent cleaning graffiti out of this popular wild cave. We discuss how Dr. Truebe got started caving, how some cave research is performed, and […]

Episode 20 – Room Temperature Superconductivity Controversy

August 17, 2018 05:46 - 36 minutes - 35.5 MB

We’re back! You may have heard about some controversy surrounding a recent pre-print published on the arxiv about room temperature superconductivity. This would be an extremely exciting result if it weren’t for some issues. The authors won’t share their samples and have not yet fully described how to make it–they say that will come in […]

Episode 19 – 2015 Perihelion Edition

February 03, 2015 22:04 - 57 minutes - 22.8 MB

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

October 14, 2014 21:02 - 55 minutes - 19.2 MB

We’re finally back from our long hiatus! Sorry about the wait, both Cameron and Emily were busy getting their masters degrees, and right after he submitted his thesis, Cameron’s laptop got fried! This week we discuss Space X and Boeing contracts to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station by 2018, and some new […]

PULSE! #4 – Better Coffee Through Chemistry

June 19, 2014 15:47 - 23 minutes - 7.54 MB

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, […]

Episode 17 – Life, The Universe, and Frogs

June 05, 2014 22:52 - 1 hour - 32.3 MB

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. 5:00 Our first story is about the story “Astronomers create first realistic virtual universe” from the Illustris Project. 15:40 […]

Episode 16 – Sun & Surf

May 16, 2014 18:44 - 1 hour - 19.4 MB

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 […]

LASER Pulse! #3 – The Heartbleed

April 16, 2014 03:50 - 22 minutes - 7.92 MB

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 […]

Episode 15 – Airships for the Future

April 09, 2014 16:29 - 1 hour - 35.7 MB

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. 3:00 Our guests today are […]

Episode 14 – Filters and Photodetectors

March 26, 2014 15:39 - 54 minutes - 29 MB

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. 4:05 The article in Popular Mechanics titled “A simple tree branch can become a backyard water filter” and the FREE paper in PLOS One […]

Episode 13 – Microgravity

March 12, 2014 07:01 - 1 hour - 38.1 MB

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 […]

Episode 12 – Laserbones

February 27, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 36.7 MB

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! 3:23 Article from The conversation.com titled “Scientists create bone-like material that […]

Episode 11 – Plant Materials

February 12, 2014 19:49 - 1 hour - 22.8 MB

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. 2:00 Introductions and Emily explains the shiny new lab she is working for! 4:30 […]

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

February 01, 2014 23:39 - 1 hour - 32.2 MB

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. 1:30 introductions […]

Short Update & Help LASER!

January 24, 2014 18:36 - 2 minutes - 1.64 MB

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 […]

Episode 9 – Space, Robots, & the FUTURE

January 16, 2014 06:48 - 1 hour - 41.6 MB

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! 2:00 we do some extended introductions this week, since we realized we haven’t ever properly given background information. […]

Episode 8 – Special Perihelion Edition

January 05, 2014 06:47 - 1 hour - 34.6 MB

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 […]

Episode 7 – The Battery Outbreak

December 18, 2013 19:55 - 59 minutes - 31.3 MB

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. 1:15 we start on “Better Batteries Through Biology?” (HERE is the full paper) 13:00 the three major metrics for battery performance 15:00 will these battery-building viruses […]

Episode 6 – Fukushima Roll

December 06, 2013 04:51 - 1 hour - 37 MB

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. 00:00 we introduce Heather! A new co-host, and our resident […]

Episode 5 – Old News

November 20, 2013 16:03 - 1 hour - 35.1 MB

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?). 2:30 we “jump right into it” (after a few minutes of chatter…) with the New York Times’ Article: “Balloon Ride to […]

Pulse! 2 – 3D Printed Liquid Metal Microstructures

November 05, 2013 00:56 - 25 minutes - 12.6 MB

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! Alex, Emily, and Greg join me in the discussion. This episode is about 25 minutes long. Here’s […]

Episode 4 – Rigid Opaque Governing Bodies

October 30, 2013 07:13 - 1 hour - 36.2 MB

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 the politics of scientific funding in Canada, and how the US government shutdown affected scientists. 1:30 introductions! We have Emily and Alex, and a new […]

Episode 3 – Lasers, Lasers Everywhere

October 14, 2013 20:08 - 1 hour - 39.1 MB

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… 2:00 After the introductions we start talking about new research […]

Episode 2- A Giant Leap for Frogkind

September 30, 2013 16:06 - 59 minutes - 34.5 MB

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). […]

Pulse! 1 Glass, Graphene, and Magnesium

September 26, 2013 18:27 - 10 minutes - 4.43 MB

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 […]

Episode 1 – A Thin Veneer of Podcast

September 16, 2013 16:08 - 54 minutes - 30.6 MB

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, […]