Hardware Podcasts

S2E21 Science! The Show

Being an Engineer · 7 May 2021 · 50m · Episode 21

What this episode covers

Host Aaron Moncur interviews Russell Hoffing, Alex Shifman, and Dylan Farr, the creators of 'Science! The Show,' a comedy-based science communication project. They discuss their backgrounds in cognitive science, producing, and animation, and explain how they use humor and personal storytelling to make complex topics like dark matter and systems engineering accessible to general audiences. The group details their process for coaching scientists to create engaging, participatory live shows and their philosophy on handling contentious questions with kindness and expertise.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Pipeline Design & Engineering, Science and Entertainment Exchange
Products
Science! The Show, Space Shuttle, Avengers Endgame
Also
Tracy Drain, Bill Nye

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 10m

    An Interview with Simone Giertz

    Simone Giertz, CEO of Artificial Stupidity and host at Tested, discusses her transition from a Maker in Residence at Punch Through to building 'shitty robots' for entertainment. She explains how combining comedy with hardware engineering helped her reach a mass audience, contrasting her approach with traditional educational content from companies like Adafruit and SparkFun. Giertz also details her experiences at CES, her struggles with mechanical engineering and sourcing parts for potential maker kits, and her philosophy on 'beginner's mind' in learning new skills like welding and 3D modeling.

    Prototyping & iterationIndustrial & consumer product design
    6 chapters

  • How I Built This · 14m

    Bonus Episode! Ask Guy Anything: December 2021

    Guy Raz, host of How I Built This, explains the show's rigorous preparation process, which involves 40-50 page research packets and 5-10 hours of prep per interview to uncover new details. He details the criteria for selecting founder-led guests who are willing to 'surrender' to the storytelling process, emphasizing struggle and vulnerability over cookie-cutter success. Raz also reveals his own entrepreneurial ventures, including Built of Productions and Tinkercast, the latter of which is developing an ed-tech platform and commercial products for children's media.

    Starting a product companyMarketing & brand
    1 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 03m

    255: Jellyfish Are Pretty Badass (Repeat)

    Ariel Waldman, founder of spacehack.org and global director of Science Hack Day, discusses her journey from graphic design to making science more inclusive and accessible. She explains how Science Hack Day breaks down barriers by allowing scientists, artists, and technologists to prototype together without the pressure of traditional credentialism. Waldman also details her role on the external council for NASA's NIAC program, which funds futuristic, sci-fi-inspired concepts for future space missions, and shares insights on the non-exponential nature of space exploration breakthroughs.

    Validation & product-market fitMarketing & brand
    4 chapters

  • Making It · 1h 08m

    516: This Career is Like Magnet Fishing

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent projects, including Diresta's ice cleats and pottery experiments, Picciuto's recased alarm clock, and Clagett's metal die fabrication. The conversation shifts to the challenges of creating engaging video content from non-visual processes, debating the use of voiceovers, storytelling structures, and the impact of YouTube's comment system on creator-audience interaction. They also analyze the effectiveness of abstract versus direct titles and thumbnails, sharing results from A/B tests and the psychological aspects of packaging content for a competitive platform.

    Creator businessIndustrial & consumer product design
    7 chapters

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 46m

    Musing with Changelog's Adam Stacoviak

    Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company host Adam Stacoviak of The Changelog, discussing the history and business value of their respective podcasts. They analyze HBO's Silicon Valley as a satirical mirror to hardware startup culture, referencing specific plot points like SWOT analyses and character dynamics to illustrate real-world engineering and management challenges. The conversation highlights how Oxide uses 'On the Metal' for recruiting and community building, while The Changelog leverages unique production elements like Breakmaster Cylinder's music to differentiate its brand.

    Marketing & brandStarting a product company
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Being an Engineer. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.