Circuit Break Podcast #390

Kathy Joseph and The Lightning Tamers

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August 11, 2023, Episode #390

Join physicist and electrical engineering historian, Kathy Joseph, as she unravels captivating human stories behind electricity's evolution. Discover quirky experiments and eccentric scientists like self-deprecating Heinrich Hertz and self-proclaimed wizard Matthias Bose. Learn how historical knowledge and storytelling inspire present and future engineers.

Introduction to Kathy and Her Passion for the History of Science:

Kathy's spark for electrical engineering history ignited when students misconceived electricity's source as "a plug in the wall" 🔌
Explore her popular YouTube channel, Kathy Loves Physics, and discover the inspiration behind her book, The Lightning Tamers 🌩️

Quirky Experiments and Peculiar Discoveries in Electrical Engineering:

  • Kathy shares her extensive research process
  • Incorporating storytelling makes science education more interesting, accessible and memorable
  • We hear intriguing anecdotes about famous scientists like Heinrich Hertz, who despite a self-critical nature made groundbreaking discoveries in electromagnetic waves and modern wireless communication
  • The Eccentric Matthias Bose: Meet the 18th-century self-proclaimed wizard 🧙‍, known for electrifying women he called "Venus Electrificatus"
  • Polarizing Sheets and Edwin Land: Discover how Edwin Land's invention of polarizing sheets, born out of a father's desire to satisfy his child's impatience for instant pictures, influenced the modern Polaroid camera 📸
  • Appreciate the passionate and artistic nature of scientists and engineers and the relevance of their stories to the present day 🧑‍🎨
  • Looking Ahead: Reflect on the significance of historical knowledge in inspiring the next generation of engineers

Summary/Takeaways:

Kathy Joseph's passion for storytelling and the human side of science adds depth and relevance to the history of electrical engineering
Understanding the context and personalities behind scientific discoveries enhances our appreciation for their significance

Connect with Kathy:

Kathy joseph

About the Hosts

Parker Dillmann
  Parker Dillmann

Parker is an Electrical Engineer with backgrounds in Embedded System Design and Digital Signal Processing. He got his start in 2005 by hacking Nintendo consoles into portable gaming units. The following year he designed and produced an Atari 2600 video mod to allow the Atari to display a crisp, RF fuzz free picture on newer TVs. Over a thousand Atari video mods where produced by Parker from 2006 to 2011 and the mod is still made by other enthusiasts in the Atari community.

In 2006, Parker enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin as a Petroleum Engineer. After realizing electronics was his passion he switched majors in 2007 to Electrical and Computer Engineering. Following his previous background in making the Atari 2600 video mod, Parker decided to take more board layout classes and circuit design classes. Other areas of study include robotics, microcontroller theory and design, FPGA development with VHDL and Verilog, and image and signal processing with DSPs. In 2010, Parker won a Ti sponsored Launchpad programming and design contest that was held by the IEEE CS chapter at the University. Parker graduated with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Spring of 2012.

In the Summer of 2012, Parker was hired on as an Electrical Engineer at Dynamic Perception to design and prototype new electronic products. Here, Parker learned about full product development cycles and honed his board layout skills. Seeing the difficulties in managing operations and FCC/CE compliance testing, Parker thought there had to be a better way for small electronic companies to get their product out in customer's hands.

Parker also runs the blog, longhornengineer.com, where he posts his personal projects, technical guides, and appnotes about board layout design and components.

Stephen Kraig
  Stephen Kraig

Stephen Kraig is a component engineer working in the aerospace industry. He has applied his electrical engineering knowledge in a variety of contexts previously, including oil and gas, contract manufacturing, audio electronic repair, and synthesizer design. A graduate of Texas A&M, Stephen has lived his adult life in the Houston, TX, and Denver, CO, areas.

Stephen has never said no to a project. From building guitar amps (starting when he was 17) to designing and building his own CNC table to fine-tuning the mineral composition of the water he uses to brew beer, he thrives on testing, experimentation, and problem-solving. Tune into the podcast to learn more about the wacky stuff Stephen gets up to.

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