How NASA Reinvented The Wheel

If you're a long-time blog follower, you might be wondering if this isn't a repeat posting, but it's not.

I did previously post a video titled How NASA Reinvented The Wheel - Shape Memory Alloys, but that one was by Brian at Real Engineering.

The topic are largely the same, though this one goes more deeply into how NiTiNOL works on the stress-strain curve and how the deformation of NiTiNOL is an autenite to twinned martensitic crystal transformation - complete with some nice animations.

It does also mention that the crystal transformation are exo- and endothermic (17:05), something that I don't think I've seen mentioned in other videos. I admit that if hot water is necessary for the martensite to austenite transition, it must be endothermic, but I haven't seen anything demonstrating that transition being both noticeable with bare hands - and a large enough NiTiNOL sample - or via thermal imaging camera. Neat detail there, doctor Derek.

I'm With Her: Making the Vinyl for "See You Around"

I'm a fan of I'm With Her. In fact, I have tickets for their concert in Cincinnati on July 11. Great harmonies, great musicianship, loads of fun from three songwriters with great voices. Check out this live performance 

That's neither here nor there for today's video, however, as it's focused on the production of the vinyl for their first album. Initially the grooves are carved in a thin lacquer on an aluminum disk to make a master. The disk is then metallized with a thin coating of aluminum which is then copied as another metal disk to create a mother - another metal disk which is then used to make the actual vinyl records.

I'll admit that the general idea - make a positive to make a negative to make a whole bunch of positive copies - is fairly straight forward, but I've never seen the specific process for vinyl records.

ASM Teacher Camps - 2025

2025! 

That's the future, folks! 

Welcome to the future!

If you want to know how to be successful in that future, check out the ASM materials camp for teachers. 

The schedule for the 2025 summer camps is available online, and if you need to be convinced that the teachers camps are amazing, check out all the videos I've posted about the camps. There's no better sales pitch than the testimonials from our attendees.