Technically Speaking | a science and engineering discussion

What was the Cambrian explosion and why is it so exciting for palaeontologists?

The dinosaurs might take all the glory but well before they existed there was a very important period. Laura and Ellie discuss the 'explosion' in animal biodiversity that started around 541 million years ago and how we know it happened. They also speculate on what sort of animal might be missing from the fossil record and somehow come to the strange conclusion that balloon animals might have been real.

Sources of information for the factual stuff:

• Rocks (iron) absorbed free oxygen from britannica.com
• The study suggesting that animals left the seas as their eyes evolved and got bigger was reported on quantamagazine.com
• The study on the oldest animal (the floppy sea-dwelling bath mat) was reported on inverse.com

What can we use data science for?

Whether you're a scientist or engineer you'll probably handle a lot of data. Laura, Emma and Antonia discuss how they use various data analysis techniques in their different disciplines of energy analysis and physics. They highly recommend towards data science as a resource to learn more and discus a specific example of principal component analysis (the rotating graph) from builtin.com.

What can we learn from nesting habits of birds?

A lot of effort goes in to studying birds and their habits. Laura, Ellie and Antonia talk about nesting habits, what we can learn from them and why it’s important for scientists to know about them. They also talk about what you can do at home to help birds survive as climate and their environment changes.

How did university shape our careers in the energy industry?

An audience from the Engineering Development Trust's Insights to University course quizzes Antonia, Jasmin, Alasdair and Sophie about how they chose their degree course, what sort of research they worked on, if they got to choose modules about climate change, and whether it’s better to do undergraduate masters or a bachelor’s degree. They also discuss how their individual choices led each of them to work in different aspects of the energy industry and whether they would change anything about how they got there.

Is industrial-scale carbon capture really feasible?

Although carbon capture technology is in use now, there are quite a few hurdles to jump before it becomes widely used. Laura, Jasmin and Antonia are joined by a live audience from the Engineering Development Trust's Routes to STEM course to talk about industrial applications of carbon capture in various industries. They field questions from the audience about the wider energy industry, discuss how options for storage compare to using the gas in a circular carbon economy and consider whether planting trees really can make a company carbon negative.

They mention several other episodes during the conversation, possibly more than ever before (because everything is connected!):

• Ep 18. Why can't we such carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere?
• Ep 59. What are E-fuels?
• Ep 32. What is sustainability?
• Ep 11. Is battery technology ready for widespread use in electric cars?
• Ep 03. How can nuclear power help beat climate change?
• Ep 23. How is fusion energy portrayed in Spider-Man?
• Ep 17. Is plastic a good thing?
• Ep 24. How do you build a skyscraper?
• Ep 26. Should we control the weather or get better at predicting it?

How can biophysics help develop drugs?

It’s a weird mash-up of biology and physics and it really is useful. Antonia, Emma and Laura talk about how to simulate biology on a computer, how physics is involved, and speculate on how artificial intelligence could help improve the simulations and lead to speedier, cheaper drug development.

What astounds us about science?

It’s not often you hear about a new discovery of theory in science that makes you say 'wow!' Laura and Antonia talk about some of their moments of astonishment when they've learned something about black holes or dinosaurs.

How do you know if you’ve found a meterorite?

Meteor showers are well worth staying up late for but how often do heavenly bodies fall to Earth and what do they look like? Ellie and Laura discuss this, what to do if you find one, how they compare to terrestrial objects like gold, and discuss whether they're valuable. They also get interrupted by various animals and can't help mention rewilding.

How could artificial intelligence affect healthcare?

Could artificial intelligence take some of the most highly skilled jobs? Would you want to see an AI for healthcare and get a diagnosis? Would you trust it more than a real life person? Laura, Antonia and Sarah discuss all this and more. Sarah uses her considerable experience as a medical doctor and teaching of surgery to guide us through the pros and cons of AI in healthcare and the team speculate on what the future might hold. Ever thought about what you'd want your ideal doctor to act like?

Does 3D printing help engineering?

The technology to print in 3D has been around for a while and it’s used to do some really cool stuff. Laura and Rwayda discuss an amazing new type of material that can be given different properties simply by turning tiny mechanical gears which could be used to make robots and more. They look at how houses can be printed out of concrete to create visually appealing designs that can outlast traditional construction techniques and they speculate on what the future might hold. Could we use artificial intelligence to help print new materials?