# 210: The Glass Hour

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2017-08-10
- Length: 46m
- Episode: 210
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/210-the-glass-hour

## Summary

Alan Yates, a hardware engineer at Valve, discusses his entries for the 2017 Flashing Light Prize, detailing the construction of a vacuum light bulb using molybdenum filaments and a Leyden jar powered by an electrostatic gun. He explains the history of the Edison effect and the technical challenges of glass-to-metal seals in borosilicate glass. Yates also outlines his theoretical plans to implement trigonometric functions in analog hardware using Taylor series expansions and Gilbert cell multipliers.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour#t=6) Introduction and Background
- [4:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour#t=242) Flashing Light Prize Entries
- [10:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour#t=633) Vacuum Technology and Glass Blowing
- [19:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour#t=1149) Leyden Jar and Electrostatic Charging
- [33:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour#t=2011) Analog Trigonometric Computation

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Valve (company)
- Flash Light Prize (other)
- Leyden jar (product)
- molybdenum (material)
- borosilicate (material)
- Gilbert cell (chip)
- Edison effect (other)

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- [Ep 319: Experimental Archaeology, Demoscene Oscilloscope Music, and Electronic Memories](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-05-02-ep-319-experimental-archaeology-demoscene-oscilloscope-music-and-electronic-memo) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [An Interview with Ted Yapo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-11-04-an-interview-with-ted-yapo) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep 144: Jigs Jigs Jigs, Faberge Mic, Paranomal Electronics, and a 60-Tube Nixie Clock](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-11-12-ep-144-jigs-jigs-jigs-faberge-mic-paranomal-electronics-and-a-60-tube-nixie-cloc) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep005: Undead Lightbulbs, Home Chemistry, and the Strength of 3D Printing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-02-08-ep005-undead-lightbulbs-home-chemistry-and-the-strength-of-3d-printing) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-10-210-the-glass-hour. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.