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…

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 actuall…

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 hurri…

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 y…

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 scratchin…

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.

Prosthesis are designed to replace lost or missing body parts, but what if they could do more? Inspired by The Third Thumb prosthetic, this week we discuss the possibility of enhancing human ability with various prostheses. Pete wants a prehensile tail, while Abbey just wants to flip through a book without using her arms. We describe (possibly dang…

Welcome back to the past. Now that we have secured a good standard of living with light, heat, shelter and books, we have to spread the word. That requires a way to communicate information over long distances. We didn't want to rely on the actual historical method of guys on horses, so instead we tried to make semaphore, telegraph, and even a tiny …

What is your favorite programming language, and what would you change to make it better? Those are the questions that we ask this week. Abbey talks a bit about creating graphical UI designs using XML, and Pete and Simon share their experiences with graphical programming. We compile our experiences, and parse their meaning before we assemble it all …

This episode we got together to talk about nothing... but we ended up talking about too much. Too much work, that is. When opportunity comes knocking, how do you say no? This week we discuss managing our time, and every one else's expectations. Pete explains how to be a manager using a (perfectly accurate) sports analogy, and we talk about when to …

We've been talking about doing this episode for a while, but wanted to prepare our thoughts a little beforehand. Engineering has been understood for years to have a serious problem with diversity. We don't necessarily have the same ideas, and we almost certainly don't share all of your ideas, but we thought that it is important to discuss the issue…

Our trips to the year zero are back. This week we return to the past and create the worlds first 'zine. We start by trying to encode data for longevity. In an attempt to keep to a reasonable episode length we decided to limit the problem to reproducing text data for distribution. Soon we have a solution for spreading our propaganda across the ancie…

This week we travelled to big, scary Manhattan to talk to long-time guest and friend of the show, Safwan. Safwan joined us from his fancy office to discuss deep learning, AI, and the steamballing effects of big data. But before we can get there, we have to find the best way to navigate through the building.…

How much private information are you willing to give away in exchange for services or discounts? We start off this week discussing how insurance companies trade information on you and your habits in exchange for discounts, but soon branch off in all directions related to privacy and security.

This week, we follow our love of words and look at one of Simon's favourite words: "Skeuomorphism." It's a five dollar word for a concept that you might know more about than you think. We jump off of the idea of skeuomorphs into a conversation on the general future of software interfaces (as we often do) so if you're into that, we have a podcast fo…

We're changing things up for a couple months

This week we talk about some of the smaller scale consequences of robotics, from how they will affect the design of our homes to our need for furry companionship. We discuss Simon's interest in large adirondack chairs, and weigh the pros and cons of meat vs. silicone friends. Pete is still recovering from a flu, so please excuse the coughing for th…

This week we're transported both in space and time to find a way to bring modern transportation to ancient times. With mixed success, we consider human, steam, heat, and electrical power.

This week we step back from reality and discuss our engineering dream jobs. From joining the technological illuminati to being in charge of the fun index, we leave practicality behind in favor of jobs that get us excited.

This week, we use sports words to talk about things that have nothing to do with sports. After trying to find someone who knows about scrum and agile for a while, we finally decided that Pete was good enough. So settle in for a sprint and we will make sure that you are really doing scrum, or at least ScrumBut.…

This week we return to the past and try to ensure we can eat food all year round...and not die in the process.

This week we recap the events at CES by discussing why anyone would get into the drone/wearables/sinking ship business. Pete and Simon have a lot to say about failed startups, hopping on the bandwagon and rushing to deliver products. We theorize that the traditional business model is better than the current crowdsourcing model, and that doing your …

So you've used your engineering skills and acumen to create an incredible way to separate portions of bread. Primed to disrupt the world, your next step is to market your innovation...somehow?

This week we cover some of our favorite software tools! From graphics to remote control we highlight our favorites...you can even play bingo!

Tech and toys: the top of every engineer's Christmas wish list. In our second annual holiday episode, we discuss the gifts that we're hoping appear under our trees this year. From extravagant drones to cheap lego sets, we lay out the best gifts for the engineer in your life.

This week we bask in the consumerism of the holiday season. We discuss how great the internet is for buying stuff, and how brick and mortar stores are usually not so great. And of course, we talk about how Amazon plans to change that. The whole discussion was inspired by the really cool video Amazon put out a while back about their new store Amazon…

This week we have a conversation using the Internet...and having conversations over the Internet!

This week we're back to the past with an episode on indoor plumbing, from supply to disposal. We discuss potable water (po-table? pot-able?), old west water towers and methane dirigibles. Pete explains why sinks in Europe have separate hot and cold water taps, and we design a poorly-thought out and awkward communal toilet. At least we're not in an …

Looking back on the last 40-odd weeks there have been some moments of hilarity which, for obvious reasons, didn't make it into the final episodes. So come with us on a journey into the podcasting studio and see what happens before the final cut.

A year ago we were here. Or at least some of us were. For our fiftieth episode we reflect on the past year of podcasting. We discuss our podcast formats, how our audio has improved, and our new release schedule. We also look to the future and tell you about some of our new episode ideas, from a series on the exciting world of protocols to a What We…

After all of the years of late nights and longs days that it takes to spin up an education and career in engineering, how do you leave it all behind and completely change your path? Now imagine that everyone around you is telling you that it's a mistake. That was the question that Manjula Selvarajah was asking herself years ago when she decided to …

“How do tech companies continue to innovate” seems like a pretty ambitious topic to cover in a half-hour without Abbey, and looking back it probably was. Simon and Pete tried their best to discuss the current state of tech innovation, and how companies choose strategies to stay relevant and innovative.…

This week we're calling in sick. We'll be back next week and in the meantime, here's a little "When HDYE Goes Wrong" preview.

With the hot new Samsung Note 7 all over the news, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge all of the incredible technology that is all around us...not on fire.

This week we return to the past. The cold dark past. And try to warm things up with our engineering know-how. We discuss the downside of living with a garbage fire, try to avoid lead poisoning, and get distracted by centrifugal governors. Pete tells us all about the little-known properties of oregano and we succeed in making the past better than th…

Trying to find a balance between work and life is often less like adding or removing weights from a scale, but more akin to trying to slackline between two masts of a ship in the open ocean. Circumstances change, pivot points shift, and the only way to know if you've reached a tipping point is to think critically about how you work and what you wan…

This week we chat with friend of the podcast and returning guest, Dom Aibi. After being shown the door at his last job, Dom circumnavigated the globe to travel and practice yoga. Now his path has lead him to a career teaching PLCs, affording him the work-life balance that he once sought. We chat about his new career, his thoughts on the industry an…

After his original interview way back in episode 3, we fully intended to have Dom come back an tell us more about the mysterious world of PLCs. But then he ran off to the other side of the world and couldn't talk to us... until now! Dom is back and we are finally going to learn what a PLC is and why industry loves them so much. Turns out they are v…

In a world where computers can teach themselves, will we still require programmers? This week a Wired article prompted us to we revisit the topic of a past episode to discuss the necessity of coding in the future. We touch on past failed attempts at artificial intelligence, and highlight some of the successes. We also listened to user feedback and …

This week we post Episode 41, our 40th anniversary episode! We set out to talk about pet peeves and premium pet perks that drive engineers crazy, and then lead us to fall in love all over again. I don’t really have any other words to describe the misguided hilarity that ensues. Warm fuzzies abound!

This week we continue our journey through the past. We may have gotten ahead of ourselves when we tried to reinvent the light bulb, so this time we are going to start at the beginning and try to make electricity. Come with us as we discuss lodestones, the right-hand rule, and geared-down hamster wheels. We will rewrite history and create a modern u…

When we needed a glossary episode this week, Jason from episode 35 was ready to step in...so clutch! Have you ever wondered what happens when you drop the clutch in a beast of a blown six-banger with four on the floor (I know manly car things...really). Let Jason help prepare you for car conversations with a guide to how engines make your car vroom…

Some people have a very clear idea of what they will be doing when they graduate with an engineering degree... but they're mostly wrong. With technological advances and exciting opportunities dictating career changes in ways we couldn't predict, few people stick to the path that they laid out for themselves in first year. This week we are joined by…

This week Pete and Simon come back from a conference with renewed excitement for the trendy topics in engineering. With that in mind we set out to justify our categorization as a "tech news" podcast and talk about what is popular in engineering, and what that means for the future of consumer goods. We revisit our old friend the Internet of Things, …

Come with us on a journey, a journey into the distant past. Imagine if you will that through the miracle of flux capacitance you have been transported to the year zero and the heart of the Roman Empire. Using only your current understanding of science and engineering, can you recreate a utopian society complete with all the conveniences of modern l…

This week we're joined by Mechanical Engineer Jason Desouza-Coelho to talk about the ins and outs of auto manufacturing. We discuss the surprising honesty of at-the-limit design, and the rigorous testing and validation that goes into each part. Join us as we discuss the practicality of vended paste extrusion, and the indestructibility of Toyota's p…