EiS Short: A Perfect Circle

EiS Short: A Perfect Circle

It is sometimes said that the only perfect circles available for the contemplation of early humans were the sun, the full moon, and the iris of the eye. I think this is overstated. The ripples formed by a pebble falling in still water come to mind as do the circles formed in the center of sunflowers, such as sunflowers. But still, the point stands. Perfect circles were unusual in the life of early hominids and seeing as how the best examples ruled the daytime and nighttime skies, circles must have seemed mystical and miraculous, almost godly, worthy of veneration. Since circles were also found in the very sense organ used to observe the perfect circles in the sky, it doesn't seem impossible that these theoretical early hominids might have felt connected to the mystical circles in the sky, part of the divine mystery in a way that plants and mountains and trees were not, as if we were reflections or extensions of the great sun god or wise moon goddess. So imagine the very first hominid, a Neanderthal or Denisovan perhaps, or perhaps it was left for a member of our own species, Homo sapiens, that discovered a method for reliably creating a perfect circle here on earth...

#30 - Frank Artmont

Most bridges are designed to be functional—this one was crafted to be a striking work of art that blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings. In this episode, Frank Artmont, PE, PhD a senior engineer at Modjeski and Masters, reveals the innovative design secrets behind the award-winning Hawk Falls Bridge in Pennsylvania's scenic state park. From the strategic use of weathering steel to complex hinged arch mechanisms, discover how this project balances aesthetics, engineering excellence, and environmental harmony over a decade-long journey.

#29 - Anna Riling

Anna Riling is a seasoned geologist and award-winning cartographer based in Durango, Colorado. She's recognized for her stunning, purpose-driven maps that blend aesthetics with environmental advocacy and cultural storytelling. If you've ever wondered what goes into making a map that's both exquisite and meaningful — or how maps can serve as powerful tools for activism and education — this episode is your guide. Hit play to see the landscape through Anna's artist's eye and discover the future of creative cartography.

EiS Short: Temporary Autonomous Zone

The late and mostly unlamented anarchist philosopher, Peter Lamborn Wilson, under the pseudonym Hakim Bey, wrote extensively about the pirate utopias of the 18th century and from them derived the concept that he labeled temporary autonomous zones. If you were at the Solstice party at my place a few summers back, you were in a rather excellent temporary autonomous zone or TAZ. The party was temporary in that it had a beginning and an end. If you showed up on the wrong night, you weren't in a TAZ, you were SOL. It was a zone, taking place entirely within the boundaries of my particular parcel. And most importantly, it was autonomous. Within the temporal and spatial boundaries of the party, you hopefully experienced a suspension of certain laws, a relaxing of legal, cultural, and even physical restraints. Perhaps you felt free to drink or smoke more than you usually do, or to give free rein to a flirtatious alter ego, or to talk and sing in an unusually loud voice. Perhaps, like me, you became convinced that you could dance, despite past experience to the contrary.

#28 - Phil Lundman and Henri Kinson

In this episode Angus talks with Petersen Products' Phil Lundman and design engineer Henri Kinson about the strange, high‑stakes world of inflatable plugs and custom mechanical solutions for pipelines and critical infrastructure. We start with the company's roots in a Danish immigrant's drain‑cleaning tool and follow its evolution into a design‑build shop that routinely solves one‑off problems for industrial and municipal clients around the world. Along the way, Phil and Henri walk through a dramatic underwater project at the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant, where divers installed a folding, seven‑foot bulkhead 50 feet below the surface to protect millions of dollars in assets. We also get into NASA rocket‑fuselage stress tests, offshore energy platforms, and what it takes — in software, fabrication capability, and rigorous testing — to ship devices that simply cannot fail under pressure.