Episode 27 – Anna Jackson

Episode Notes

Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio

Acronyms, Definitions, and Fact Check

Space Camp – an educational camp in Huntsville, Alabama, on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. (wikipedia)

Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. (www.soinc.org)

Composites material typically consists of relatively strong, stiff fibres in a tough resin matrix. (www.aviationpros.com)

Fluid Dynamics – a subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that describes the flow of fluids—liquids and gases. It has several subdisciplines, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. (wikipedia)

Computational Fluid Dynamics – a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. 

Wind Tunnels – tubes with air blowing through them. The tunnels are used to replicate the actions of an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft will fly. (wikipedia)

Vomit Comet – In 1957, astronauts began training on planes that simulate weightlessness by making roller-coaster-like maneuvers in the air. The simulation makes some passengers nauseous, which inspired the nickname “Vomit Comet.” In 1973, NASA took over the Air Force program that preceded the space agency’s formation. However, since 2008, a private company ,Zero-G Corp., has handled the training. And although the program was designed for astronaut training, it’s not reserved for future space flyers; scientists, engineers, students and celebrities have all taken a spin on the Vomit Comet to experience the feeling of weightlessness. (www.space.com)

Thermodynamics – a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, radiation, and physical properties of matter. (wikipedia)

Mach – Mach 1, the local flow velocity u is equal to the speed of sound. At Mach 0.65, u is 65% of the speed of sound (subsonic), and, at Mach 1.35, u is 35% faster than the speed of sound (supersonic). Pilots of high-altitude aerospace vehicles use flight Mach number to express a vehicle’s true airspeed, but the flow field around a vehicle varies in three dimensions, with corresponding variations in local Mach number. (Mach 8 is 8 times the speed of sound) (wikipedia)

Largest hypersonic wind tunnel – The largest wind tunnel in the world is at NASA’s Ames Research Center. This subsonic tunnel, which can test planes with wing spans of up to 100 feet, is over 1,400 feet long and 180 feet high. Located in Mountain View, CA. (wikipedia)

Python – Python is an interpreted, high-level and general-purpose programming language.

Fortran – a general-purpose, compiled imperative programming language that is especially suited to numeric computation and scientific computing. 

The brain is chock full of receptors for female hormones. These hormone receptors also interact with brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are involved in feelings of anxiety. These interactions may be part of the reason why women are at higher risk for anxiety than men. (www.livescience.com)

The Gallup World Emotions Report shows a rise in stress and worry. In fact, worldwide stress levels have reached a new record, with the U.S. leading with some of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the negative experience index remains at a record high again this year, but worry and sadness are also increasing. Worldwide, 35% of people said they were stressed, and 35% said that they experienced worry the day before they were questioned. Greece and the U.S. lead the world in adult stress levels at 59% percent and 55% respectively, a difference the report considers statistically the same. This means that despite a growing American economy, adults in the U.S. are more worried, stressed, and angry. These rates of stress and worry (45%) are at a high when compared to polls over the last 12 years, and anger is at its highest level since 2006 (22%). The percentage of Americans who experienced stress was 20 points higher than the global average. It comes as no surprise that younger Americans are having the hardest time. About 65% of people between 15 and 49 reported stress and 51% reported worry. But it is of particular note that the youngest Americans were the most angry, with a rate of 32%. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shouldstorm/201904/us-leads-in-the-worldwide-anxiety-epidemic)

Composites are engineered materials composed of a matrix material (e.g. polyester or epoxy resins) and a reinforcing material (e.g. glass mat or woven fabric). The process of making a composite is termed Composite Layup, which is derived from the original method of making these materials.

Peel Ply – an extra layer of fabric material which is laid upon the outer surface of the composite during fabrication. This layer is intended to be peeled off at some future time prior to bonding. The peel ply is a woven fabric, glass, nylon or other synthetic material.(www.sciencedirect.com)