The Aspiring STEM Geek

Volcanoes with Natália Gauer Pasqualon - #25

In this episode I am joined by Doctor Natalia Gauer Pasqualon, a volcanologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The focus of this episode is volcanology, which is the study of volcanoes and geochemical phenomena.We first discuss how Natalia decided to study geology for her undergraduate degree and how Natalia ended up finishing two PhDs in volcanology. Then we get into volcanology. Natalia defines what a Volcano is, the difference between lava and magma, hotspots, the different types of volcanoes, volcanic eruptions, underwater volcanoes, super volcanoes, the terabytes of data she has to work with and much more. I hope you enjoy! PAPERS: Natalia’s PhD Thesis: https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/101a9715-d88a-4983-a2b6-e03d505cd503 Kīlauea lava fuels phytoplankton bloom in the North Pacific Ocean: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aax4767 Growth and degradation of Hawaiian volcanoes: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/pp18013 ARTICLES: Oceanic Hotspots: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/plate-tectonics-oceanic-hotspots.htm Volcanic Eruptions: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/volcanoes/volcanic-eruptions.htm Update on the July 23 Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/240723.htm Marine life's latest hotspot could be an underwater volcano primed to erupt off Oregon: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5398591/underwater-volcano-eruption-oregon What is a supervolcano? What is a supereruption?: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-a-supervolcano-what-a-supereruption Man dies after rescue from restricted area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-dies-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-rcna262100 BOOKS: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: Music: massobeats - warmth (https://youtu.be/slnUKMhcQUs) CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:17 – Why Natália decided to study geology for her undergraduate 4:51 – Natália earning two PhDs 8:56 – Defining what a Volcano is 10:38 – Defining Volcanology 10:57 – The geochemistry of Volcanoes 13:36 – Lava vs Magma 15:05 – Hotspots 17:38 – Modeling lava flow 18:59 – The types of Volcanoes 21:26 – The most common Volcano type in Hawaii 22:19 – The types of Volcanic eruptions 24:46 – Which Volcano type is most dangerous? 28:21 – How well can we forecast Volcanic eruptions? 33:32 – Accessing Volcanoes as a researcher 34:50 – Collecting data during Volcanic activity 39:09 – Super Volcanoes 41:47 – Yellowstone 43:19 – Submarine Volcanoes 48:42 – The lifecycle of a Volcano in Hawaii 54:37 – Natália’s research for her PhD thesis 1:03:51 – The dangers of Volcanoes 1:06:17 – Volcanic soil for growing agriculture 1:07:48 – Housing near Volcano hazard zones 1:08:37 – Wildlife near Volcanoes 1:10:03 – How to get started in Volcanology 1:11:59 – Coolest Volcanoes Natália has seen 1:14:06 – Places to check out if you visit Brazil 1:17:12 – Brazilian cinematography and music 1:19:21 – Book recommendation

Hydrology with Eric Larson - #24

In this episode I am joined by Eric Larson, a hydrologist who works for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The focus of this episode is hydrology, which is a field in science that studies the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth. In the episode we discuss Eric’s love of the outdoors, studying civil engineering for his undergraduate, his current work as a hydrologist in Montana, methods for collecting hydrology data, his experience with SNOwpackTELemetryNetwork, how hydrology data is utilized by farmers and local governments and much more. I hope you enjoy! VIDEO: MontanaNRCS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MontanaNRCS/videos PAPERS: The History of Snow Survey & Water Supply forecasting: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/History-Of-Snow-Survey.pdf Water Supply Outlook Reports – Montana: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/montana/montana-snow-survey/water-supply-outlook-reports-montana ARTICLES: The Man Behind the Snowpack: https://mountainjournal.org/eric-larson-the-man-behind-the-snowpack/ Understanding Snow: https://watereducationcolorado.org/publications-and-radio/headwaters-magazine/spring-2024-the-snow-issue/understanding-snow/ Snow: The real water supply for the Rio Grande basin: https://jornada.nmsu.edu/files/bibliography/06-035.pdf These Four States Are in Denial Over a Looming Water Crisis: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/opinion/water-shortage-colorado-river.html Spring Outlook: Drought forecasted to expand in U.S. West, parts of Plains: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/spring-outlook-drought-forecasted-to-expand-in-us-west-parts-of-plains June 2022 Floods in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20243035/full Requirements to become a Hydrologist in the US: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315 BOOKS: Never Turn Back: The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar by Ron Watters The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV|- Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:12 – Eric growing up in Minnesota 3:34 – Studying civil engineering at University 5:05 – Defining Hydrology 7:13 – SNOwpack TELemetry Network (SNOTEL) 8:27 – What time of the year is Hydrology data collected 10:36 – How SNOTEL data is transmitted & collected 12:12 – Grizzly Bears near SNOTEL sites 13:46 – Maintenance on SNOTEL equipment 15:54 – Process to sample Snow Course data 21:26 – Elevation sickness 22:35 – Defining Snowpacks 23:44 – Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) 25:48 – Spatial variability of snow fall 28:44 – Hydrological measurements 31:41 – Sublimination 35:20 – Methods of trekking to the SNOTEL sites 39:10 – Maintaining SNOTEL data 41:32 – Snow Survey & Water Supply Forecasting Program 43:55 – Avalanche risk 46:44 – Hydrology equipment is expensive… 51:47 – The hardest part of collecting Hydrology data 56:35 – Who utilizes Hydrology data? 58:48 – Surface vs Ground water 1:01:08 – Water from snow melt 1:02:02 – Droughts 1:04:54 – Water conservation and water capture 1:07:45 – How to get started in Hydrology 1:11:04 – Outdoor activities in Montana 1:12:25 – Glacier National Park & Custer Gallatin National Forest 1:13:56 – Best ski spots 1:14:56 – Indiana Bones 1:17:25 – Book recommendation 1:18:53 - Conclusion

Capybaras with Elizabeth Congdon - #23

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Elizabeth Congdon, a Capybara researcher and a Professor at Bethune Cookman University. In the episode we start with Beth’s experience with collecting and analyzing data at the Cleveland Zoo and Beth’s research on primates for her Master’s thesis. Then we get into the main focus of the episode, Capybaras! Beth compares Capybaras to other rodents, reviews the regions where they live, their diets, how they communicate, why they swim in the water, why they are so seemingly chill and much more. I hope you enjoy! Ologies Podcast episode with Dr. Elizabeth Congdon: https://www.alieward.com/ologies/hydrochoerology PAPERS: Natal dispersal and new group formation in capybaras in a seasonally flooded savanna of Venezuela (Beth’s PhD thesis): https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/561/ Self discrimination in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3887474/ Status of Capybaras & Potential for Establishment in Florida: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345844506 WHERE TO SEE CAPYBARAS: Pantanal, Brazil (In the wild) Capybara Cafe in St. Augustine Florida, USA (Animal sanctuary) BOOKS: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinayPODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:29 – Beth’s interest in animals growing up 2:39 – Conducting Research at the Cleveland Zoo 6:36 – Researching primates in the wild 12:10 – Why are primatologists located in the anthropology department of universities? 15:14 – What is a Capybara? 16:29 – Capybaras compared to other rodents 19:41 – What regions are Capybaras found in? 21:25 – Capybara’s diet 22:54 – A hypothesis on why Capybaras are so chill 24:02 – The size of Capybaras 25:02 – Time to adulthood and lifespans of Capybaras 27:03 – How male Capybaras become dominant 29:59 – Capybara communications 30:54 – Capybaras are semi-aquatic 34:54 – The area used by wild Capybaras 36:07 – Capybaras and predators 39:08 – Capybaras and birds 40:30 – Beth’s current research 42:46 – If Beth could do any type of Capybara research she wanted 46:59 – Are Capybaras cuddly? 47:34 – The feasibility of having a Capybara as a pet 48:44 – Would Capybaras be able to survive on their own in Florida? 51:25 – Capybara Litter sizes 52:58 – Where to see Capybaras in Central and South America 55:09 – Capybara Sanctuary in St. Augustine, Florida 57:03 – Beth’s favorite Capybara reference in pop culture 57:47 – Which dog breed is most like Capybaras? 59:18 – Beth’s favorite moments with Capybaras 1:02:02 – If Beth could study another species besides Capybaras it would be… 1:04:12 – Book recommendations 1:07:37 – Conclusion

Chile Peppers with the Chile Pepper Institute - #22

This episode is all about Chile Peppers! I traveled to southern New Mexico to the Chile Pepper institute at New Mexico State University. I talk with Danise Coon and Dr. Dennis Lozada who are two researchers with the institute. In the episode we discuss the origins of Chile Peppers, the factors that affect Chile pepper production, the Scoville scale to measure the heat of peppers, mechanization of agricultural functions, multi omics, methods to improve pepper yields and the best dishes that go with Chile peppers. I hope you enjoy! VIDEO: Pepper X: Sean Evans, Chili Klaus & Smokin' Ed Currie Eat the New World's Hottest Pepper | Hot Ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUYtDA7j19c PAPERS: Diversification of chiles (Capsicum, Solanaceae) through time and space: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9622771/ Chile Consumers and Their Preferences Toward Region of Production-Certified Chile Peppers: https://pubs.nmsu.edu/research/economics/RR790/ Chile Pepper (Capsicum) Breeding and Improvement in the "Multi-Omics" Era: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35592583/ ARTICLES:Scoville scale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scaleNMSU investigates how peppers get their punch: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/nmsu/2016/01/31/nmsu-investigates-how-peppers-get-their-punch/79607342/ RESTAURANTS: Chope's Bar & Cafe in La Mesa, NM La Posta De Mesilla in Mesilla, NM Andele Restaurant Mesilla, NM Si Señor Restaurant in Las Cruces, NM El Parasol in Española, NM El Paragua Restaurant in Española, NM Tomasita's Santa Fe New Mexican Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM Owl Cafe in Albuquerque, NM CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:08 – What are Chile Peppers and where do they come from 2:24 – Ideal climate to grow Chile Peppers 6:20 – Disease affecting Chile Peppers 7:22 – Why has there been a drop in Chile Pepper production 8:42 – Measuring the spiciness of Chile Peppers 13:37 – How to cool off from a hot Pepper 15:34 – Does Pepper X have potential competition from New Mexico? 18:05 – Green vs. Red 20:43 – NuMex Twilight Ornamental Chile 21:44 – Ristra 25:01 – The best times to visit the Chile Pepper Institute 27:35 – The International Pepper Conference 29:54 – The Chile Pepper Institute’s global partners 31:52 – Defining Capsicum 32:17 – Multi-Omics 36:08 – The phenotyping bottleneck 38:06 – Speed Breeding 38:59 – Robots in the Pepper fields 42:40 – Chile vs Chili 44:26 – Favorite food to add Chile too 46:50 – Hottest Chile Pepper Danise has tried 49:28 – Best New Mexican dishes with Chile Pepper 50:38 – New Mexico restaurant recommendations 54:43 – The natural beauty of New Mexico

Data Centers with Eric Masanet - #21

In this episode I talk to Dr. Eric Masanet. Eric is the Professor and Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science at the University of California Santa Barbara. The core focus of the episode is Data Centers. In the episode we start at a high level where Eric defines what a Data Center is, the stakeholders of a Data Center, GPU vs CPU compute, the lifecycle of chips, the potential energy efficiency gains of compute, Data Center water usage, the sparse data on Data Centers and the best and worst case scenarios for Data Center sustainability in the future. I hope you enjoy! VIDEO: Eric’s Testimony to Congress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE0be5uqjuw PAPERS: Eric’s PhD Thesis on E-waste (paywalled behind ProQuest): https://www.proquest.com/docview/305213050 GPU Lifetimes on Titan Supercomputer: Survival Analysis and Reliability: https://christian-engelmann.de/publications/ostrouchov20gpu.pdf With the Right Developer, Technological Progress Doesn’t Mean Data Center Obsolescence: https://www.streamdatacenters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SDC-Brief-Data-Center-Obsolescence-20250416.pdf How Hungry is AI? Benchmarking Energy, Water, and Carbon Footprint of LLM Inference: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.095982024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: https://eta.lbl.gov/publications/2024-lbnl-data-center-energy-usage-report ARTICLES: Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE): https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee_en Apple expands the use of recycled materials across its products: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/04/apple-expands-the-use-of-recycled-materials-across-its-products/ The 2025 Data Center Power Report by Bloom Energy: https://resources.bloomenergy.com/data-center-power-report NEWS: Sanders: Yes. We Need a Moratorium On Data Center Construction.: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-yes-we-need-a-moratorium-on-data-center-construction/ Ratepayer Protection Pledge: https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/03/ratepayer-protection-pledge/ BOOKS: Connections by James Burke: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743299558 CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:48 – Eric’s interesting in building things growing up 3:00 – Studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin Madison 4:34 – Eric’s PhD Thesis on minimizing Electronic Waste 14:55 – Defining a Data Center 18:06 – Stakeholders of a Data Center 21:59 – Central Processing Units (CPUs) vs Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) 24:30 – Lifecycles of Computer Chips 30:58 – Will the energy consumption from a GPU query become as efficient as a Google Search over time? 37:15 – Are Data Centers making electricity more expensive? 42:34 – Data Center water usage 48:39 – How Data Center builders decide where to build 57:02 – Google’s Hamina Data Centers, an example of sustainable Data Center builds? 1:01:34 – Data collection on Data Centers 1:08:36 – The United States agency that could collect data on Data Centers in the future 1:10:59 – Could an industry group collect data on Data Centers? 1:14:51 – How hardware companies can provide more data on chips 1:18:09 – Best and worst case scenarios for Data Center sustainability 1:27:01 – What happens to Data Centers if there is an AI bubble that pops? 1:31:17 – Eric’s ideal Data Center policies 1:37:29 – Being outdoors in California 1:38:56 – Book recommendation