We talk with mechanical engineer Tim Quinn about advances being made in the world of photonics, wave–particle duality, and optical computing in this episode of The Engineering Commons.
Carmen is pleased that Google Fiber is coming to his neighborhood.
Our guest for this episode is Tim Quinn, a design engineer who works for Thorlabs in Newton, New Jersey.
Carmen asks if Thorlabs has established operations in the realm of Asgard.
Photomultiplier tubes are sensitive to the presence of visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared light, allowing a single photon to be detected under the proper conditions.
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is also able to detect photons, producing an increased number of charge carriers in response to heightened light levels. Not all photons will be sensed by a CCD; quantum efficiency describes the percentage of photons actually detected.
Tim thinks we’re still at least a decade away from practical applications of optical computing.
Photons have a spin of 1, while electrons have a spin of 1/2.
Jeff notes that optical computing might come of age just in time to keep Moore’s Law intact for another generation. Tim references a recent Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) about this matter.
Tim notes that quantum cascade lasers are gaining in popularity, due to their high power output, wavelength tunability, and room temperature operation.
Advances continue to be made in manufacturing light-emitting diodes (LEDs), especially in blue wavelengths.
LED lightbulbs are rapidly dropping in price; at the time of this episode a 60W (equivalent) bulb could be purchased for less than $3 at major retailers in the United States.
Originally founded in 1955 as the Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers, the SPIE is now the leading professional society for optics and photonics technology.
Globars emit radiation composed of wavelengths from approximately 4000 to 15,000 nanometers, and are often used as thermal light sources for infrared spectroscopy. By comparison, visible light falls in a range between 380 and 780 nm, while sunlight spans wavelengths from 100 to 1,000,000 nm.
Our guest notes that the University of Arizona has a well-respected photonics program.
Our conversation with mechanical engineer Jim Heilman delves into exciting advances being made with plastic materials, the types of molding equipment used to manufacture high-volume plastic parts, and whether or not the movie industry can be trusted to provide good career advice.
Our guest for this episode is mechanical engineer Jim Heilman, who joined us previously for episodes about recruiting and empathy.
Plastics is the third (or fourth) largest manufacturing industry in the United States.
While natural plastics do exist, the majority of today’s plastics are derived crude oil, petroleum products, or natural gas.
Bakelite was one of the first plastics made from synthetic components.
Thermosetting polymers are usually liquid prior to being cured through the application of heat. Once hardened, a thermoset resin cannot be reshaped.
Thermoplastics do not undergo a chemical change when heated, and can thus be repeatedly remolded. Thermoplastic polymers are commonly produced in pellets, before being shaped into their final product form by melting and pressing, or injection molding.
The most widely used method of manufacturing plastic parts is injection molding, which forces hot liquid plastic into a metal mold. Once the polymer material cools, the solidified part is removed.
A “sprue” is excess material that solidifies in a passageway between mold cavities.
Most injection molds are constructed from tool steel, although aluminum molds can also be utilized (usually for lower production volumes).
Thermoforming involves heating a sheet of plastic, then pulling a vacuum that causes the sheet to assume the profile of an underlying mold.
Injection molding machines are categorized by their mold orientation (horizontal or vertical), clamping mechanism (hydraulic, mechanical, or electric) and their clamping tonnage.
Blow molding inserts hollow polymer material into the the interior of a mold, then uses air (or another fluid) to force the material to expand (like a balloon), causing it to assume the shape of the mold interior.
Jim mentions LiquiForm technology, which uses consumable liquid instead of compressed air to hydraulically form and fill a molded container.
Extrusion molding forces plastic through a die, thus forcing the heated material to assume a desired profile.
During this episode, we chat with researcher Jonathan Wai about the strong spatial skills exhibited by many engineers. We also discuss why standardized tests don’t measure spatial abilities, the manner in which highway clover leafs are designed, and how one particular co-host would go about reconfiguring his local deli counter.
Adam describes the process of designing a highway interchange. Although it’s not a purely analytical method, he assures us it does not involve the use of a Spirograph (as suggested by Carmen).
James Trevelyan’s book, The Making of an Expert Engineer, is referenced by Jeff. Long-time listeners may recall that Dr. Trevelyan was our guest for Episode 19 (Value) and again for Episode 68 (Expert Engineer).
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Jonathan Wai, a research scientist who writes about developing expertise in both educational and occupational settings. In addition to his academic articles, his writings have appeared in Psychology Today, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Education Week, and many other magazines and newspapers.
Certain scientific fields, including psychology, use an idealized hypothetical construct to explain that which cannot be measured directly.
With regard learning more about spatial abilities, Jon recommends the work of David Lohman, a Professor Emeritus with the University of Iowa, and also that of David Lubinski, a Professor of Psychology with Vanderbilt University.
A spatial visualization test examines a subject’s ability to mentally translate, rotate, and transform three-dimensional objects.
Hierarchical models of intelligence propose that each individual’s general intelligence (or g factor) is augmented by abilities in ostensibly dissimilar cognitive tasks, such as mental, verbal and spatial reasoning.
Terry Tao is an example of the rare individual who can perform at the highest levels of mathematical reasoning.
Jeff references a journal article about integrating spatial reasoning into the engineering education curriculum.
Nora Newcombe, David Uttal, and David Miller are mentioned as researchers who have looked extensively at how spatial abilities can be strengthened through training exercises.
The tendency of the general intelligence scores to rise over time is called the “Flynn Effect.” (You can watch Dr. Flynn describe this phenomenon in a TED talk from 2013.)
Jon recommends the book Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities, by Diane Halpern, for those wishing to better understand cognitive differences between men and women.
Trait clusters have been investigated by Phillip Ackerman of Georgia Tech.
We talk with mechanical engineer Tim Quinn about advances being made in the world of photonics, wave–particle duality, and optical computing in this episode of The Engineering Commons.
