Episode 73 - What is Design?

We're back, the podcast that offers you such an amazing engineering education that you just can't leave. If you've ever wanted to leave a software platform, hardware experience, or podcast but just don't feel like you want to risk it...we're here to help.

The holidays are a time for family, friends, food... and stuff. A lot of stuff. Prompted by a study that revealed that the average child receives over 70 presents a year, we set out to design one gift for each popular gift-giving demographic.

This week we discuss our relationship with technology as consumers. Each of us has a different reaction to the idea of investing in a new technology, ranging from anxious obsession to zen acceptance. We talk about today's exciting cutting edge technologies in personal electronics and home automation, and whether we would pay for them or wait to see how the industry matures.

This week we talk a little about the last couple years of podcasting, but more about how our careers changed over the years. Hopefully you'll get some insight into how engineering roles morph over time to lead you in new and exciting directions.

Many people have expressed disappointment in The Giant Robot Duel that took place earlier this week; the robots moved too slowly, there were too many safety precautions in place... basically it was kind of boring. In this week's podcast we take inspiration from the robot battle to answer the question, how do we make a tech sport that people actually want to watch? Pete wants robot obstacle courses, Abbey wants a sport to play with friends, and Simon wants to defend his title as the "best robot fighter in this hood." From drone racing to drifting power wheels, we breakdown what tech sports people actually care about.

We're back! Well, Pete and Simon are back to talk about current events. If you are an engineer, you probably find yourself idly trying to imagine how you would use your engineering skills to help make life better in the wake of natural disasters. In this episode, we indulge this impulse and discuss how we could design living spaces to survive hurricanes and other natural disasters. We discuss arcologies, shipping containers, and for some reason, doughnuts.

This week we premiere a "new" episode format: Good Question! Simon read a thing on the internet that raised a question about whether AI should be required to speak human language. Our conversation spirals down a winding road, and doesn't really end in any life altering revelations, but it's an interesting journey.

In Canada we have a legal responsibility as engineers for the people that use our designs, but do we have an ethical responsibility as well? This week we ask a lot of questions, but arrive at very few answers. Prompted by an episode of Radiolab, we discuss the moral and ethical implications of R&D. If any platform can be misused, at what point do you shut it down? And whose job is it to make that decision? If there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that engineers need to think more.

This week everyone is in attendance again as we go back to basics and take a look at the fundamental concept of design. What does it mean to design? How do we learn to be designers? Does an engineering education prepare one to design well? Answers to almost none of these questions and much much more await you. Honestly this is really just scratching the surface, but we hope it will start some really interesting conversations in the future. Hope you enjoy!

From our summer vacation (except for Simon), we return to podcasting with an update on the Tesla Model 3, and ventures in general. Abbey and Pete chat about the potential for electric cars, trains, and other dreams of an 8 year old Elon Musk.