NASA and Aviation with Nancy Currie-Gregg - #29

NASA and Aviation with Nancy Currie-Gregg - #29

In this episode I talk with Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg, a formerArmy aviation officer, NASA astronaut and current Professor of Practice, Industrial & Systems Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. In the episode, we discuss how Nancy became interested in aviation at a young age, her decision to join the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Nancy’s work as an Army Aviator, her time as a NASA flight simulation engineer, attending the Astronaut Candidate Training Program, the experience of taking off into space, her role as a flight engineer across fourNASA space missions, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Nancy leading the Space Shuttle Program’s Safety and Mission Assurance Office after the Columbia disaster, her recommendation to aspiring Astronauts and much more. I hope you enjoy!   ARTICLES: STS-57: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-57/ [https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-57/] STS-88: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-88/ [https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-88/] Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Report (2003): https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/caib/news/report/volume1/default.html [https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/caib/news/report/volume1/default.html] The Challenger STS-51L Accident: https://www.nasa.gov/challenger-sts-51l-accident/ [https://www.nasa.gov/challenger-sts-51l-accident/] What we know about the midair plane and helicopter crashnear Washington, D.C.: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5280198/plane-crash-washington-dc-helicopter-potomac [https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5280198/plane-crash-washington-dc-helicopter-potomac] Neil Armstrong, Ohio teachers inspired astronaut NancyCurrie-Gregg: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/usa250/2026/04/12/nancy-currie-gregg-astronaut-challenger-explosion-ohio/89441020007/   BOOKS: The Challenger launch decision by Diane Vaughan Normal Accidents by Charles Perrow   MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: massobeats - bonsai (https://youtu.be/BgjrxtC_WlE [https://youtu.be/BgjrxtC_WlE])   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 0:21 – Nancy’s interest in math and science growing up 1:09 – Studying Biological Science and joining Army Reserve Officers' TrainingCorps 4:55 – Army aviation school 8:17 –Helicopter Instructor Pilot 10:22 – NASA Simulation Engineer 14:54 – NASA’s Shuttle Training Aircraft 19:14 – Fault injection in flight simulation 21:57 – NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Training Program 24:56 – Space Transportation System 57 (STS-57) 32:16 –Space Transportation System 88 (STS-88) 37:00 – The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the aftermath 41:38 – Breaking into the space industry 43:56 – Book recommendation 46:34 – Conclusion

Welding with Estevan Ortega - #28

In this episode I talk with Estevan Ortega, a welder and welding instructor at Santa Fe Community College. We first discuss how Estevan got into welding. Then Estevan explains what welding is, the equipment utilized, the science of welding, different welding processes such as MIG, TIG and STICK, the industries welders can work in, specialized fields such as welding for national labs or underwater welding, the salaries of welders and much more. I hope you enjoy!   Estevan’s Art Welding at Globe Fine Art: https://globefineart.com/artist/estevan-ortega [https://globefineart.com/artist/estevan-ortega]   ARTICLES: A Comprehensive Guide to Groove Welding: https://www.lincolntech.edu/news/skilled-trades/welding-technology/comprehensive-guide-groove-welding [https://www.lincolntech.edu/news/skilled-trades/welding-technology/comprehensive-guide-groove-welding] Lunch atop a Skyscraper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_atop_a_Skyscraper [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_atop_a_Skyscraper] Rail safety investigators release final report on deadlysouthern Colorado derailment: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/rail-safety-investigators-final-report-deadly-pueblo-colorado-derailment/ [https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/rail-safety-investigators-final-report-deadly-pueblo-colorado-derailment/] The Santa Fe Opera brings non-traditional applications ofwelding studies to high school students: https://www.santafeopera.org/company/press-news-media/welding-at-the-opera/   BOOKS: King James Bible Dante’s Inferno by Dante Alighieri Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy  MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:Music: massobeats - familiar places (https://youtu.be/M0NqWjmUl4Q) 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?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8   |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:03 – Estevan’s Interest in engineering and the trades growing up 2:27 – How Estevan got into welding 4:13 – Defining welding 6:19 – Equipment that novice welders learn to use 7:09 – Welding personal protective equipment (PPE) 10:01 – Thermal cycle of welding 13:12 – The big four welding processes 16:44 – Orbital, Laser welding and advanced technologies 20:28 – Welding material forms 27:39 – Welding joint types 28:52 – Base and filler metals 32:19 – Welding in the field vs welding in a shop 35:57 – Thermal cutting 37:24 – Welding in Alaska 40:00 – Welding symbols 42:06 – Identifying welding defects 48:03 – Walking through a real world example of a welding job 54:16 – If you are older what are your options in welding? 58:37 – Which industries currently have a high demand for welders? 1:02:07 – Working for national labs and high tech companies 1:07:01 – Hyperbaric (underwater) welding 1:12:13 – Where Estevan’s welding students find work 1:17:28 – How welding salaries compare to other trades 1:21:24 – The gender gap in welding 1:27:02 – How to get started in welding 1:31:41 – If Estevan could work in a different field it would be… 1:36:29 – Estevan’s work with a local high school at the Santa Fe Opera 1:39:24 – Estevan’s art 1:43:16 – Best activities in Santa Fe 1:46:41 – Book Recommendations 1:51:00 – Conclusion

Data Centers with Jonathan Koomey - #27

In this episode I talk with Dr. Jonathan Koomey, the founder of Koomey Analytics and a former researcher & scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The focus of this episode is on data centers. We first start with Jon’s interest in the history of science which he studied at Harvard for his undergraduate. We go over Jon’s PhD thesis on why cost-effective energy efficiency measures may not be adopted in new office buildings. Then we get to data centers. Jonathan discusses the difficulties in obtaining the energy usage data for data centers, the tradeoff between innovation & understanding energy use, limitations of AI in research, a phenomenological model named Koomey’s law that Jon developed, GPUs, software to develop more energy efficient AI models, energy efficient vs inefficient data centers, how companies decide where to build data centers & much more. I hope you enjoy!   Koomey Analytics Website: www.koomey.com   PAPERS: Jon’s PhD Thesis: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268339858 [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268339858] Estimating Bitcoin Electricity Use: A Beginner’s Guide: https://coincenter.org/estimating-bitcoin-electricity-use-a-beginners-guide [https://coincenter.org/estimating-bitcoin-electricity-use-a-beginners-guide] Implications of Historical Trends in the ElectricalEfficiency of Computing: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224128141 Characteristics of low-carbon data centres:  https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1786 Separating fact from fiction in data center electricity forecasts: A guide for regulators: https://gridlab.org/portfolio-item/data-center-load-forecast-report Electricity Demand Growth & Data Centers: A Guide for the Perplexed: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/electricity-demand-growth-and-data-centers/ ARTICLES: Data center energy use: truth versus myth: https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/data-center-energy-myth.html [https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/data-center-energy-myth.html] Koomey’s Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koomey%27s_law [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koomey%27s_law] 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32d6m0d1 To better understand AI’s growing energy use, analysts need a data revolution: https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(24)00347-7   BOOKS: The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman Reinventing the Bazaar by John McMillan Linked: The New Science of Networks by Albert-László Barabási   TEXTBOOK: Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving by Jonathan Koomey MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO:Music: massobeats - https://youtu.be/4uJKRDkwwXo   VIDEO: China & AI Supply Chains: DeepSeek, Huawei, Transformers, Robotics, & More with TP Huang: https://youtu.be/NAXOP5gt_5I 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   PODCAST: Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0DC73S9SN iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV   |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:39 – Jon’s interest in science and energy 2:37 – Energy issues in 2026 7:24 – Jon studying the History of Science at Harvard 10:19 – Jon’s research at UC Berkeley 11:38 – Jon’s PhD Thesis on energy efficiency in new office buildings 19:51 – Rated power vs. actual power draw for hardware 26:32 – Why is energy usage not well measured by tech manufacturers? 28:05 – Critical thinking & the limitations of AI 34:05 – Koomey’s Law 38:59 – CUDA the software behind Nvidia’s GPUs 40:53 – AI software development in China 43:50 – Efficient vs inefficient data centers 49:47 – The shift from On Prem to Cloud 51:39 – How do companies decide where to build data centers? 57:24 – Data centers in the AI age 1:02:19 – Will the US & China dominate in data center compute? 1:05:35 – Does the type of AI algorithm affect energy efficiency of datacenters? 1:08:54 – The issues with assumptions about AI 1:17:38 – Jon’s ideal data center policies 1:24:59 – Book recommendations 1:29:51 – Conclusion

Nutritional Physiology with Emily Howard - #26

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Emily Howard aNutritional Physiologist at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). The focus of the episode is nutritional physiology, which is the study of how nutrients and diet interact with the body at a cellular and physiological level. We start the conversation discussing how Emily becameinterested in nutritional science. Then we get into the field. Emily defines physiology and nutritional science, explains macronutrients, ketones, metabolism, calories, how fat is burned, how muscle is built, muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown, research she has conducted onsupplements, research she conducted on nutrition in extreme arctic environments and much more. I hope you enjoy!   PAPERS: Ketone Monoester Plus Carbohydrate Supplementation Does NotAlter Exogenous and Plasma Glucose Oxidation or Metabolic Clearance Rate DuringExercise in Men Compared with Carbohydrate Alone: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36893935/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36893935/] Chocolate Milk and Endurance Exercise Recovery ProteinBalance, Glycogen, and Performance: https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182364162 Whole-Body Protein Balance during Arctic Military TrainingIs Unaffected by Dietary Essential Amino Acid or Energy Density: https://jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(26)00163-X/fulltext   ARTICLES: Iron-Deficiency Anemia: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22824-iron-deficiency-anemia [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22824-iron-deficiency-anemia] Physiology: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/physiology [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/physiology] Know Your Macros: Why Macronutrients Are Key to HealthyEating: https://www.cedars-sinai.org/stories-and-insights/expert-advice/what-are-macronutrients [https://www.cedars-sinai.org/stories-and-insights/expert-advice/what-are-macronutrients] BOOKS: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Ski Troops by Hal Burton MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: Music: massobeats - memories (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM139aHl4fY)   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 1:23 – Emily’s interest in biology, exercise science and nutrition 4:54 – Joining the United States Army Research Institute of EnvironmentalMedicine (USAREIM) as a researcher 7:38 – Defining Physiology and Nutritional Physiology 8:34 – Macronutrients 10:26 – Do our bodies have a preferred fuel source? 13:09 – Ketones 14:43 – Calories 16:21 – Building muscle and burning fat 19:40 – Total calories vs how the calories are consumed 22:04 – Nutrition as you age 25:14 – Emily’s research on Ketones and Carbohydrates 32:23 – Muscle Protein Synthesis and Muscle Protein Breakdown 36:33 – mTOR Pathway and muscle growth 39:48 – Hormones regulating Muscle Protein Synthesis and Breakdown 40:46 – Is all protein created equal? 43:42 – Is chocolate milk a good source of protein for post/pre workouts? 45:32 – Calories burned in a normal environment compared to an extreme Arcticenvironment 49:24 – Experiencing Arctic weather during a research trip 52:44 – Is there an ideal diet for the extreme cold? 54:30 – Extreme cold can limit your will for any activity 56:32 – Emily’s research on protein balance in the Arctic 1:11:48 – Can nutritional advice be generalized? 1:14:49 – How to start a career in nutrition science and or physiology 1:17:23 – UConn Sports 1:19:30 – Emily’s favorite sports to play and watch 1:21:02 – Book Recommendations 1:23:00 - Conclusion

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