Joshua B. Freeman

The History of Megafactories with Joshua B. Freeman

Hey everybody, this is Spencer. As you may have noticed, this feed has been pretty sleepy over the past year and a half. Part of this was conscious - The Prepared has always been first and foremost a newsletter - but ultimately it just kind of got away from me. And for that, I apologize.And, I wanted to tell you that things may be picking up a little bit: The first episode of what I'm somewhat arbitrarily calling "Season 3" of The Prepared's podcast will be hitting this feed later today. And while I'm not sure exactly where it'll go from there, I'm looking forward to doing more interviews &amp; features here in the coming months.In the meantime, The Prepared's newsletter is maintaining its steadfast weekly rhythm. If you don't already, I really do recommend subscribing here - it's quite good :)That's all for now - check this feed later today for more!

Hey everybody, this is Spencer. As you may have noticed, this feed has been pretty sleepy over the past year and a half. Part of this was conscious - The Prepared has always been first and foremost a newsletter - but ultimately it just kind of got away from me. And for that, I apologize.And, I wanted to tell you that things may be picking up a little bit: The first episode of what I'm somewhat arbitrarily calling "Season 3" of The Prepared's podcast will be hitting this feed later today. And while I'm not sure exactly where it'll go from there, I'm looking forward to doing more interviews &amp; features here in the coming months.In the meantime, The Prepared's newsletter is maintaining its steadfast weekly rhythm. If you don't already, I really do recommend <a href="https://theprepared.squarespace.com/newsletter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">subscribing here</a> - it's quite good :)That's all for now - check this feed later today for more!

Season 3 intro

In this episode we visit GE’s Additive Technology Center and hear the history of GE Additive’s formation. Our guests include Greg Morris, Josh Mook, Amber Andreaco, Christine Furstoss, Chris Schuppe, and Eric Gatlin.This episode of The Prepared’s podcast is brought to you by GE Additive.Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher! Image courtesy GE Additive Notes:Photos from GE’s Pittsburgh CEC.GE Additive’s main Customer Experience Center website.Spencer’s original report from that 2014 visit to Cincinnati.﻿

In this episode we visit GE’s Additive Technology Center and hear the history of GE Additive’s formation. Our guests include <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-morris-2955a926/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greg Morris</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamook/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Josh Mook</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-andreaco-a086a7167/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amber Andreaco</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-furstoss-a46013a1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christine Furstoss</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-schuppe-4a90a013/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Schuppe</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-m-gatlin-8945b77/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Gatlin</a>.This episode of The Prepared’s podcast is brought to you by <a href="https://www.ge.com/additive/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GE Additive</a>.Listen and subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>! Image courtesy GE Additive Notes:<ul><li><a href="https://www.ge.com/reports/all-the-print-thats-fit-to-pitt-new-additive-technology-center-opens-near-steel-town/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Photos from GE’s Pittsburgh CEC.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ge.com/additive/customer-experience/customer-experience-centers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GE Additive’s main Customer Experience Center website.</a></li><li><a href="http://pencerw.com/feed/2015/3/15/3d-printing-titanium-and-the-bin-of-broken-dreams" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spencer’s original report from that 2014 visit to Cincinnati.</a>﻿ </li></ul>

GE Additive

Adam Minter

We talk with Adam Minter, a columnist at Bloomberg and author of the fantastic book Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade.This episode of The Prepared’s podcast is sponsored by Supplyframe and the 2019 Hackaday Prize. If you’ve got a hardware product - something truly groundbreaking or an improvement on something that already exists - then go to prize.supplyframe.com to enter and win up to $125,000! Adam demonstrates how not to ride a forklift. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher!Notes:Scrap MagazineThe Huron Valley Steel Corporation60 Minutes’ 2008 investigation into e-waste, and a Youtube copy of the video version.A short documentary on Panipat, the city in India where massive quantities of used textiles are reprocessed and recycled into “shoddy,” an inexpensive wool textile.Lastly, Adam was kind enough to share a short video he recorded in 2011 at an OmniSource facility in Fort Wayne, IN. What you’re seeing below is scrap being fed into a shredder by conveyor; the operator has a live, thermal imaging view to see what’s going on inside the machine:

We talk with <a href="https://twitter.com/adamminter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adam Minter</a>, a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/authors/AROF-Y8Q8ZE/adam-minter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">columnist at Bloomberg</a> and author of the fantastic book <a href="https://amzn.to/2LlTc0C" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade.</a>This episode of The Prepared’s podcast is sponsored by Supplyframe and the 2019 Hackaday Prize. If you’ve got a hardware product - something truly groundbreaking or an improvement on something that already exists - then go to <a href="http://prize.supplyframe.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">prize.supplyframe.com</a> to enter and win up to $125,000! Adam demonstrates how not to ride a forklift. Listen and subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>!Notes:<ul><li><a href="https://www.scrap.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scrap Magazine</a></li><li><a href="http://www.hvsc.net/index.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Huron Valley Steel Corporation</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/following-the-trail-of-toxic-e-waste/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">60 Minutes’ 2008 investigation into e-waste</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGEvOmKo98" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a Youtube copy of the video version.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1R8FAj7vuk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A short documentary on Panipat</a>, the city in India where massive quantities of used textiles are reprocessed and recycled into “shoddy,” an inexpensive wool textile.</li></ul>Lastly, Adam was kind enough to share a short video he recorded in 2011 at an OmniSource facility in Fort Wayne, IN. What you’re seeing below is scrap being fed into a shredder by conveyor; the operator has a live, thermal imaging view to see what’s going on inside the machine:

The global scrap market with Adam Minter

Anna Shedletsky

We talk with Anna Shedletsky, CEO of Instrumental, about defect analysis &amp; detection in mid- to high-volume manufacturing.Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher!  Notes:Anna’s recent blog post on how counterfeit chips can infiltrate the legitimate supply chain.An interview with Anna about her time at Apple.Recent blog posts by Anna on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions, iPhone glitter case leaks, and serializing your products.

We talk with <a href="https://twitter.com/anna_shedletsky" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anna Shedletsky</a>, CEO of <a href="https://www.instrumental.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instrumental</a>, about defect analysis &amp; detection in mid- to high-volume manufacturing.Listen and subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>! Notes:<ul><li>Anna’s<a href="https://www.instrumental.com/blog/2018/10/11/clandestine-chips-are-the-perfect-hack-and-technology-needs-to-catch-up" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> recent blog post</a> on how counterfeit chips can infiltrate the legitimate supply chain.</li><li><a href="https://overcast.fm/+GutHs2mAw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An interview with Anna about her time at Apple.</a></li><li>Recent blog posts by Anna on the <a href="https://www.instrumental.com/blog/2016/12/1/aggressive-design-caused-samsung-galaxy-note-7-battery-explosions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions</a>, <a href="https://www.instrumental.com/blog/2017/8/25/glitter-iphone-case-leaks-caused-by-glue-process-issues" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iPhone glitter case leaks</a>, and <a href="https://www.instrumental.com/blog/2017/1/16/serialize-your-units-or-be-left-without-a-trace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">serializing your products</a>.</li></ul>

Anna Shedletsky, Instrumental

Lucas Lappe

A quick chat with Lucas Lappe about his tour of Toyota City. Lucas is design engineer at Doris Dev, and is currently traveling on the Magical Mystery Plant Tour.Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher! Notes:The Fondoodler, Lucas’s side project.@how_shits_made on InstagramA good piece on Toyota’s New Global Architecture project, and Toyota’s rather inscrutable website for the same.The Toyota Way and The Machine that Changed the World - both must-reads for any manufacturing nerd.

A quick chat with <a href="http://lll.works/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lucas Lappe</a> about his tour of Toyota City. Lucas is design engineer at <a href="https://www.dorisdev.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doris Dev</a>, and is currently traveling on the <a href="https://magicalmysteryplanttour.group/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magical Mystery Plant Tour</a>.Listen and subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>! Notes:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2RQ9m0t" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Fondoodler</a>, Lucas’s side project.</li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/how_shits_made/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@how_shits_made on Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.motortrend.com/news/toyota-new-global-architecture-mass-car-building/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A good piece on Toyota’s New Global Architecture project</a>, and <a href="https://www.toyota-global.com/innovation/tnga/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toyota’s rather inscrutable website</a> for the same.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2qJdgNd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Toyota Way</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2JYdclG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Machine that Changed the World</a> - both must-reads for any manufacturing nerd.</li></ul>

Toyota City with Lucas Lappe

Zach Dunham

Zach Dunham, Centerline Labs // The Public Radio

Rony Kubat

Rony Kubat, Tulip Interfaces

Kipp Bradford

Danielle Applestone

Danielle Applestone, Bantam Tools

Spawned from The Prepared's well-read manufacturing newsletter, The Prepared Podcast contains interviews with engineers, and entrepreneurs, and operators working in manufacturing.

Tara Pham

Tara Pham, Numina

Max Haot

We talk with Max Haot, CEO of Launcher Space. Max cofounded Livestream in 2007, and in 2017 founded Launcher. Launcher is developing rockets purpose-built for delivering small satellites into orbit.Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher! Notes:Launcher's twitter and instagram feeds, which are a little more active than their website ;)A good explainer on the differences between pump- and pressure-fed liquid rockets.A 2017 piece on Blue Origin's BE-4 test failure.NASA describes the risk of space debris &amp; the Kessler Syndrome.The New York Times' 1920 article on Robert H. Goddard.A history of the ex-Grumman facility in Calverton, NY where Launcher now does their test flights. See also this 1994 article on Grumman's exit from Calverton.A new method to add propulsion to cubesats, which typically can't carry fuel due to increased risk of explosion: Water vapor jets.And of course, see this video of Launcher's pressure fed 500 lbf engine being tested:

We talk with <a href="https://twitter.com/maxhaot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Max Haot</a>, CEO of <a href="https://launcherspace.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Launcher Space</a>. Max cofounded Livestream in 2007, and in 2017 founded Launcher. Launcher is developing rockets purpose-built for delivering small satellites into orbit.Subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>! Notes:<ul><li>Launcher's <a href="https://twitter.com/launcherspace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/launcherspace/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">instagram</a> feeds, which are a little more active than their website ;)</li><li><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-drawbacks-of-using-pressure-fed-rocket-engines-in-space-applications" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A good explainer</a> on the differences between pump- and pressure-fed liquid rockets.</li><li><a href="http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/blue-origin/blue-origins-be-4-hardware-suffers-failure/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A 2017 piece</a> on Blue Origin's BE-4 test failure.</li><li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/site_tour/remote_hypervelocity_test_laboratory/micrometeoroid_and_orbital_debris.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NASA describes the risk of space debris &amp; the Kessler Syndrome.</a></li><li><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbzd3a/the-new-york-times-1920-editorial-mocking-space-travel-remains-a-classic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The New York Times' 1920 article on Robert H. Goddard.</a></li><li><a href="http://www.grummanpark.org/content/calendar-major-events-navygrumman-calverton-facilities" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A history of the ex-Grumman facility in Calverton, NY</a> where Launcher now does their test flights. See also <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/1994/0121/21102.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this 1994 article</a> on Grumman's exit from Calverton.</li><li>A new method to add propulsion to cubesats, which typically can't carry fuel due to increased risk of explosion: <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2017/Q3/new-cubesat-propulsion-system-uses-water-as-propellant.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Water vapor jets.</a></li></ul>And of course, see this video of Launcher's pressure fed 500 lbf engine being tested:

Max Haot, Launcher Space

The Prepared's new recording setup, thanks to our donors on Patreon!A quick intro to Season 2 of The Prepared's podcast! The first real episode of the season will drop in the next few days; in the meantime, get yourself subscribed via iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher!

The Prepared's new recording setup, thanks to our donors on Patreon!A quick intro to Season 2 of The Prepared's podcast! The first real episode of the season will drop in the next few days; in the meantime, get yourself subscribed via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>!

Season 2 intro

This week we talk to Mo McBirney, a manufacturing engineer now working at Fictiv. Mo started her career at Makerbot before spending about three years working at Tesla, primarily on battery products.Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher!Notes: The terms "hipot" or "high potential" testing are used to refer to high voltage tests performed on electrical equipment. A well detailed explainer here.A recent New Yorker piece on automation and robotics.Spencer's 2015 notes from a visit to Tesla's Fremont factory.This American Life's excellent episode on NUMMI, the previous operator of Tesla's Fremont factory.

This week we talk to <a href="https://twitter.com/motormo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mo McBirney</a>, a manufacturing engineer now working at <a href="https://www.fictiv.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fictiv</a>. Mo started <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcbirney/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">her career</a> at Makerbot before spending about three years working at Tesla, primarily on battery products.Subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>!Notes: <ul><li>The terms <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"hipot" or "high potential" testing</a> are used to refer to high voltage tests performed on electrical equipment. A well detailed explainer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hipot-testing-dielectric-strength-test-space-power/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/23/welcoming-our-new-robot-overlords" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A</a><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/23/welcoming-our-new-robot-overlords" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> recent New Yorker piece on automation and robotics.</a></li><li><a href="http://pencerw.com/feed/2015/7/6/notes-from-teslas-fremont-factory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spencer's 2015 notes</a> from a visit to Tesla's Fremont factory.</li><li>This American Life's excellent episode on NUMMI, the previous operator of Tesla's Fremont factory.</li></ul>

Mo McBirney

Reilly Brennan

This week we talk to Reilly Brennan of the excellent Future of Transportation newsletter and Trucks.vc.Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher!Notes: Reilly in the driver's seat. Reilly's blog post on "Machine Earning". See also the recent news of a Tesla owner running a Bitcoin mining rig in his trunk, which (in a sense) takes this to a whole new level.INRIX, the Microsoft research spinoff that Spencer totally blanked on the name of.A good piece on the effects that Ofo &amp; Mobike have had on Didi Chuxing.Paul Munford's posts on Leanluxe.The Renault TWIZY, a wacky looking little ~$10k electric vehicle.A good data analysis of CitiBike's rebalancing efforts.Outro music: "Dog Cancer" by SCHOOL.

This week we talk to <a href="http://twitter.com/reillybrennan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reilly Brennan</a> of the excellent <a href="http://www.tinyletter.com/transportation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future of Transportation newsletter</a> and <a href="http://trucks.vc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trucks.vc</a>.Subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>!Notes: Reilly in the driver's seat. <ul><li>Reilly's <a href="http://reillybrennan.com/post/136156883750/machine-earning" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog post on "Machine Earning"</a>. See also the recent <a href="https://electrek.co/2017/11/29/tesla-mining-bitcoin-model-s-supercharger-power/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">news</a> of a Tesla owner running a Bitcoin mining rig in his trunk, which (in a sense) takes this to a whole new level.</li><li><a href="http://inrix.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">INRIX</a>, the Microsoft research spinoff that Spencer totally blanked on the name of.</li><li>A good piece on the effects that Ofo &amp; Mobike have had on Didi Chuxing.</li><li><a href="http://leanluxe.com/author/mpmunfordgmail-com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Munford's posts on Leanluxe.</a></li><li>The <a href="https://www.renault.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/twizy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Renault TWIZY</a>, a wacky looking little ~$10k electric vehicle.</li><li>A good <a href="https://medium.com/@Urbica.co/city-bike-rebalanced-92ac61a867c7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">data analysis</a> of CitiBike's rebalancing efforts.</li><li>Outro music: <a href="https://school.bandcamp.com/track/dog-cancer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Dog Cancer" by SCHOOL.</a></li></ul>

Reilly Brennan, Future of Transportation + Trucks

We talk with Che-Wei Wang and Taylor Levy of CW&amp;T about small scale manufacturing &amp; running a family business.Che-Wei and Taylor both studied at the MIT Media Lab and NYU ITP. In 2011, they launched their first Kickstarter campaign in what would become a series, mostly focusing on personal items.Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher! Notes:CW&amp;T's Instagram feed, which contains better visual explanations for their projects than we could ever reach in audio - and which is a *really* effective ode to doing stuff.1 Bit 1 Hz CPU.Radiolab's excellent show on speed, including a piece on pitch.

We talk with Che-Wei Wang and Taylor Levy of <a href="https://cwandt.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CW&amp;T</a> about small scale manufacturing &amp; running a family business.Che-Wei and Taylor both studied at the MIT Media Lab and NYU ITP. In 2011, they launched their first Kickstarter campaign in what would become a series, mostly focusing on personal items.Subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>! Notes:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/charliewhiskeytango/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CW&amp;T's Instagram feed</a>, which contains better visual explanations for their projects than we could ever reach in audio - and which is a *really* effective ode to doing stuff.</li><li><a href="https://cwandt.com/products/1-bit-1hz-cpu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 Bit 1 Hz CPU.</a></li><li><a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/267124-speed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radiolab's excellent show on speed</a>, including a piece on pitch.</li></ul>

CW&T

Liz Corbin

This week we talk to Liz Corbin, of The Institute of Making at University College London. Liz is a designer who among other things runs the materials library at the Institute of Making - giving her access to such things as nitinol, aerogel, and semi transparent concrete.Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, Google Play and Stitcher! Notes from the show:Nitinol.Aerogel.Vantablack and Anish Kapoor's stunts with it.The quickest graphic representation to show the scale of concrete currently being produced in China.A recent article in The Guardian about the benefits of Roman concrete recipes.On hair's use as an adsorbent to help clean up oil spills.Photos!   And videos!   Playing with aerogel with Liz Corbin for The Prepared's podcast. Full episode up 🔜 at theprepared.org/podcast 68 Likes, 4 Comments - Spencer Wright (@pencerw) on Instagram: "Playing with aerogel with Liz Corbin for The Prepared's podcast. Full episode up 🔜 at..."   Playing with nitinol with Liz Corbin on this week's episode of The Prepared. Nitinol, an alloy of nickel and titanium, retains a memory of its as-annealed shape (in this case a paper clip) and springs back to that shape when heated up (in this case with warm water). 0 Likes, 1 Comments - Spencer Wright (@pencerw) on Instagram: "Playing with nitinol with Liz Corbin on this week's episode of The Prepared. Nitinol, an alloy of..."

This week we talk to <a href="https://twitter.com/_ECorbin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liz Corbin</a>, of <a href="http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/contact" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Institute of Making</a> at University College London. Liz is a designer who among other things runs the materials library at the Institute of Making - giving her access to such things as nitinol, aerogel, and semi transparent concrete.Subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/I5hh77uv3euk5ubnppkjgzyu7na?t=The_Prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>! Notes from the show:<ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_titanium" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nitinol</a>.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aerogel</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.surreynanosystems.com/vantablack/faqs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vantablack</a> and Anish Kapoor's <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/anish-kapoor-vantablack-exclusive-rights-436610" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">stunts</a> with it.</li><li><a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Concrete-in-China" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The quickest graphic representation</a> to show the scale of concrete currently being produced in China.</li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/04/why-roman-concrete-still-stands-strong-while-modern-version-decays?utm_source=The+Prepared.&amp;utm_campaign=111bbe508f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_17&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_36a748e46b-111bbe508f-247764433" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A recent article in The Guardian</a> about the benefits of Roman concrete recipes.</li><li><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8674539.stm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On hair's use as an adsorbent to help clean up oil spills.</a></li></ul>Photos! <a></a> <a></a> And videos! <a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Playing with aerogel with Liz Corbin for The Prepared's podcast. Full episode up 🔜 at theprepared.org/podcast</a> 68 Likes, 4 Comments - Spencer Wright (@pencerw) on Instagram: "Playing with aerogel with Liz Corbin for The Prepared's podcast. Full episode up 🔜 at..." <a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Playing with nitinol with Liz Corbin on this week's episode of The Prepared. Nitinol, an alloy of nickel and titanium, retains a memory of its as-annealed shape (in this case a paper clip) and springs back to that shape when heated up (in this case with warm water).</a> 0 Likes, 1 Comments - Spencer Wright (@pencerw) on Instagram: "Playing with nitinol with Liz Corbin on this week's episode of The Prepared. Nitinol, an alloy of..."

Liz Corbin, The Institute of Making

Craig Cannon

Spencer talks to Craig Cannon, Director of Marketing at Y Combinator, about his projects and career.Craig started his career photoshopping images at The Onion, then helped run Comedy Hack Day before launching a few creative projects and eventually joining Y Combinator. Subscribe in iTunes or Overcast! Craig biking the Ho Chi Minh Highway in 2015. Notes:Craig &amp; Tim's book, The Container Guide, a favorite among readers of The PreparedCraig's interview with Rana Adhikari of LIGO about the technical challenges of measuring gravitational waves.The Infrastructure Observatory, which was started by Craig and Tim Hwang (and later ported to NYC by Spencer).Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford University commencement address, which talks about "connecting the dots backwards."Tim Ferriss' interview with Jocko Willink.

Spencer talks to <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCannon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Craig Cannon</a>, Director of Marketing at Y Combinator, about his projects and career.Craig started his career photoshopping images at The Onion, then helped run <a href="http://www.comedyhackday.org/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Comedy Hack Day</a> before launching a few creative projects and eventually joining Y Combinator. Subscribe in <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>! Craig biking the Ho Chi Minh Highway in 2015. Notes:<ul><li>Craig &amp; Tim's book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2xJ5CZq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Container Guide</a>, a favorite among readers of The Prepared</li><li><a href="https://overcast.fm/+JHLM-02UI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Craig's interview with Rana Adhikari of LIGO</a> about the technical challenges of measuring gravitational waves.</li><li><a href="http://infraobservatory.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Infrastructure Observatory</a>, which was started by Craig and <a href="https://twitter.com/timhwang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tim Hwang</a> (and later ported to NYC by Spencer).</li><li><a href="http://upchuck.us/steve-jobs-dots-quote/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford University commencement address</a>, which talks about "connecting the dots backwards."</li><li><a href="https://tim.blog/2015/09/25/jocko-willink/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tim Ferriss' interview with Jocko Willink.</a></li></ul>

Craig Cannon, Y Combinator

Janet Lieberman

We talk to Janet Lieberman, CTO of Dame Products, about the intricacies of engineering &amp; manufacturing sex toys.When she co-founded Dame Products in 2014, Janet had worked as an engineer at a variety of hardware companies, including MakerBot, Quirky, and Nanz. Since then Dame has shipped 80,000 units. They've done so partly through their focus on sex-positive, intimacy-forward products, and partly on bringing the same attention to quality and customer experience that's present elsewhere in the hardware world. Janet inspecting samples at a factory in China. Subscribe in iTunes or Overcast!Notes:A PechaKucha that Janet did on what it's like being a female engineer.A case study presentation Janet did on how they prototype using 3D printers.The Wikipedia page for Brushed DC motor design configurations.From a recent issue of The Prepared's newsletter, Deb Chachra on how advances in silicone manufacturing spurred huge changes in consumer products.Terri Gross' 1987 interview with Tom Wolfe, and Spencer's takeaway from it.As we were saying goodbye to Janet, she hinted at the fascinating story behind the engineering of Eva's wings, which tuck behind the labia are used to hold Eva against the clitoris. Janet was extremely generous to describe the whole process here:One of the biggest engineering challenges for Eva was designing something that would fit in the majority of womens' labia. There's a lot of geometry challenges that went into that. One fairly straightforward part of the challenge, though was dialing in the spring force of the wings. In order to fit a variety of women, and even the same woman in different positions, Eva has flexible wings. Those tuck into the folds of the labia, and stay in place by always being a little bit bent (acting as a spring). I knew that getting the force right was going to be a big part of success or failure. I needed to prototype as close to production as possible, so we did all our testing with machined samples. Given vulval variety, I was expecting a higher force to be better for some women and a lower force for others, so you can imagine my surprise when the data started indicating there might be a fairly universal optimal force. There was a round of testing in polypropylene, and the testers said it didn't hold well enough. I then found out that the silicone wouldn't adhere to polypropylene, so we switched to nylon. The force still wasn't high enough, so we tried ABS. The ABS seemed to be about right, but fatigued too easily - those wings snapped off after a few uses. So we broke out the old Solidworks FEA tools to try to figure out what nylon geometry would give the same spring force as the ABS (and also tried to confirm that the nylon would be able to handle the fatigue). When I tried out that prototype, it seemed about right, but I couldn't be sure if it could be better with a higher force. So I stepped it up a bit again, but then the phrase "popped out" started coming up more and more on feedback surveys - I'd gone too high.  A prototype Eva having it's wings tested So, going into manufacturing, we were in a pretty good position. I had a sample for the spring force we wanted, and samples from the past rounds that could act as limits on either side. I asked the manufacturer to make a gauge for measuring spring force, and it was ready when I got there. It was basically a clamp and two force meters - it clamped a sample down that gave you readings from both sides. I took measurements off the optimal sample and the two edge cases to set my range. Should've been easy to measure the production injection molded parts and adjust the tooling to match the same force. However, what I was not ready for was moisture content. When you injection mold nylon, all water that may have been absorbed into the nylon evaporates. Then, over time with exposure to air, the nylon will pick up moisture again. That moisture level actually affects the material properties. Machined parts are made from stock that's been exposed to air, so they're already stable. The first samples we tested had been sitting around for a few days, and they measured a little low. Then we made a 0.1 mm tool change, and suddenly the force readings were waaaaay too high. We chased our tails for a while before we figured out that the force on the day it was molded would be more than double what it would be three weeks later when it evened out (which, obviously, couldn't be figured out in less than three weeks). Now they take measurements for every batch, but the target is 4 N higher than the eventual goal.Thanks so much to Janet for the detailed explanation, and for joining us!

We talk to <a href="https://twitter.com/dame_janet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Janet Lieberman</a>, CTO of <a href="http://www.dameproducts.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dame Products</a>, about the intricacies of engineering &amp; manufacturing sex toys.When she co-founded Dame Products in 2014, Janet had worked as an engineer at a variety of hardware companies, including MakerBot, Quirky, and Nanz. Since then Dame has shipped 80,000 units. They've done so partly through their focus on sex-positive, intimacy-forward products, and partly on bringing the same attention to quality and customer experience that's present elsewhere in the hardware world. Janet inspecting samples at a factory in China. Subscribe in <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>!Notes:<ul><li><a href="http://www.pechakucha.org/presentations/what-its-like-being-a-female-engeneer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A PechaKucha that Janet did on what it's like being a female engineer.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLjhJ0c-SXo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A case study presentation Janet did</a> on how they prototype using 3D printers.</li><li>The Wikipedia page for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brushed_DC_electric_motor#Motor_design_variations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brushed DC motor design configurations</a>.</li><li>From a recent issue of The Prepared's newsletter, <a href="http://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=2e2c86e49a5f6d1fd1ab7ce70&amp;id=3555d26694" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deb Chachra on how advances in silicone manufacturing</a> spurred huge changes in consumer products.</li><li><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/12/139383916/tom-wolfe-chronicling-countercultures-acid-test" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Terri Gross' 1987 interview with Tom Wolfe</a>, and Spencer's <a href="http://pencerw.com/feed/2013/10/12/man-from-mars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">takeaway</a> from it.</li></ul>As we were saying goodbye to Janet, she hinted at the fascinating story behind the engineering of <a href="https://www.dameproducts.com/products/eva" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eva's</a> wings, which tuck behind the labia are used to hold Eva against the clitoris. Janet was extremely generous to describe the whole process here:<blockquote>One of the biggest engineering challenges for Eva was designing something that would fit in the majority of womens' labia. There's a lot of geometry challenges that went into that. One fairly straightforward part of the challenge, though was dialing in the spring force of the wings. In order to fit a variety of women, and even the same woman in different positions, Eva has flexible wings. Those tuck into the folds of the labia, and stay in place by always being a little bit bent (acting as a spring). I knew that getting the force right was going to be a big part of success or failure. I needed to prototype as close to production as possible, so we did all our testing with machined samples. Given vulval variety, I was expecting a higher force to be better for some women and a lower force for others, so you can imagine my surprise when the data started indicating there might be a fairly universal optimal force. There was a round of testing in polypropylene, and the testers said it didn't hold well enough. I then found out that the silicone wouldn't adhere to polypropylene, so we switched to nylon. The force still wasn't high enough, so we tried ABS. The ABS seemed to be about right, but fatigued too easily - those wings snapped off after a few uses. So we broke out the old Solidworks FEA tools to try to figure out what nylon geometry would give the same spring force as the ABS (and also tried to confirm that the nylon would be able to handle the fatigue). When I tried out that prototype, it seemed about right, but I couldn't be sure if it could be better with a higher force. So I stepped it up a bit again, but then the phrase "popped out" started coming up more and more on feedback surveys - I'd gone too high. </blockquote> A prototype Eva having it's wings tested <blockquote>So, going into manufacturing, we were in a pretty good position. I had a sample for the spring force we wanted, and samples from the past rounds that could act as limits on either side. I asked the manufacturer to make a gauge for measuring spring force, and it was ready when I got there. It was basically a clamp and two force meters - it clamped a sample down that gave you readings from both sides. I took measurements off the optimal sample and the two edge cases to set my range. Should've been easy to measure the production injection molded parts and adjust the tooling to match the same force. </blockquote><blockquote>However, what I was not ready for was moisture content. When you injection mold nylon, all water that may have been absorbed into the nylon evaporates. Then, over time with exposure to air, the nylon will pick up moisture again. That moisture level actually affects the material properties. Machined parts are made from stock that's been exposed to air, so they're already stable. The first samples we tested had been sitting around for a few days, and they measured a little low. Then we made a 0.1 mm tool change, and suddenly the force readings were waaaaay too high. We chased our tails for a while before we figured out that the force on the day it was molded would be more than double what it would be three weeks later when it evened out (which, obviously, couldn't be figured out in less than three weeks). Now they take measurements for every batch, but the target is 4 N higher than the eventual goal.</blockquote>Thanks so much to Janet for the detailed explanation, and for joining us!

Janet Lieberman, Dame Products

Jonathan Cedar

We talk to Jonathan Cedar, founder and CEO of BioLite Energy, about developing consumer hardware and building a business through what BioLite calls "parallel innovation."While working as a design engineer at Smart Design, Jonathan and BioLite cofounder Alec Drummond prototyped an efficient, wood burning camp stove. After learning more about the global need for smoke reduction in home cooking stoves, they eventually built BioLite into a company that serves two distinct markets. We hear a bit about what it takes to maintain these two paths, and a few of the challenges along the way.Subscribe in iTunes or Overcast! Notes:Jon's multi-part series, The Road to Impact, on BioLite's mission and how they're approaching it.BioLite's new FirePit project on Kickstarter.The Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities of Service Conference, which pushed BioLite towards stoves for off-grid people in the developing world.A decent low fidelity explainer on edge lit glass.Burkhard Bilger's 2009 New Yorker article on the then-current state of home cooking in the developing world. Jonathan with a BioLite prototype in 2015.

We talk to Jonathan Cedar, founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.bioliteenergy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BioLite Energy</a>, about developing consumer hardware and building a business through what BioLite calls "parallel innovation."While working as a design engineer at Smart Design, Jonathan and BioLite cofounder Alec Drummond prototyped an efficient, wood burning camp stove. After learning more about the global need for smoke reduction in home cooking stoves, they eventually built BioLite into a company that serves two distinct markets. We hear a bit about what it takes to maintain these two paths, and a few of the challenges along the way.Subscribe in <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prepared/id1248641108?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1248641108/the-prepared" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>! Notes:<ul><li>Jon's multi-part series, <a href="https://www.bioliteenergy.com/blogs/lab/89921475-the-road-to-impact" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Road to Impact</a>, on BioLite's mission and how they're approaching it.</li><li><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/biolite/biolite-firepit-see-fire-not-smoke?ref=8ff52x" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BioLite's new FirePit project on Kickstarter.</a></li><li>The <a href="http://www.ethoscon.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities of Service Conference</a>, which pushed BioLite towards stoves for off-grid people in the developing world.</li><li>A decent low fidelity <a href="https://grathio.com/2010/06/how_to_edge_lighting_displays/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">explainer</a> on edge lit glass.</li><li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/21/hearth-surgery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burkhard Bilger's 2009 New Yorker article</a> on the then-current state of home cooking in the developing world.</li></ul> Jonathan with a BioLite prototype <a href="http://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/biolite-a-brooklyn-business-making-fire-power-without-the-smoke/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in</a> 2015.

Jonathan Cedar, BioLite

Great behind the scenes and honest look at creating a product/company, kickstarter and more.

Honest look at product creation, must listen

Glad to have some quality content like this to listen to.

Excellent stuff

The Prepared

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