SwRI Principal Engineer Dr. Graham Conway is sparking debate with his views on electric vehicles. Conway presented his ideas in a TEDx San Antonio talk, which now has thousands of views on YouTube. In this episode, he explains why he believes describing electric cars as “zero emissions” doesn’t tell the whole story. He urges listeners to examine where the electricity that powers battery-operated vehicles comes from. If the power source creates pollution, can the technology truly be considered ze...
Jul 20, 2020•35 min
Vehicles our communities depend on, like big rigs, garbage trucks and buses, are equipped with heavy-duty engines that contribute to smog. Ultimately, that pollution leads to poor air quality and public health issues. SwRI engineers have developed a solution. Their near-zero emissions heavy-duty diesel engine drastically cuts down on harmful nitrogen oxides, while decreasing other pollutants. After years of research, SwRI engineer Chris Sharp and his team are ready to introduce a game-changing t...
Jun 15, 2020•33 min
COVID-19 has amped up the need for safe, effective masks. Manufacturers and health systems are getting creative, thinking of new ways to make or reuse face coverings. These new materials and materials that undergo tough sanitation methods require rigorous testing to ensure they can protect frontline health care workers. The SwRI particle emissions laboratory is well equipped for this challenge. Once used exclusively for engine emissions testing, the lab is now expanding its capabilities to test ...
May 18, 2020•32 min
The novel Coronavirus is raging through communities around the world. It’s a virus never before seen in humans, and therefore, not recognized by our immune systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions are at the highest risk. There is no vaccine or drug therapy to prevent or treat the illness caused by the virus, known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The heroes of this battle are the healthcare work...
Apr 05, 2020•37 min
The award-winning LotusFlo™ superhydrophobic coating is solving a major problem in offshore oil drilling. Substances often clog pipes, slowing or stopping the flow of oil. This innovative coating applied through a unique plasma process keeps substances from adhering to pipe surfaces. Better flow makes recovering petroleum for fuel and other products more cost-effective, which is a win for consumers too. But that’s not the only perk, LotusFlo is also better for the environment, cutting out the ne...
Mar 16, 2020•32 min
Antennas make modern communication possible from mobile phones to Wi-Fi. They also make our communities safer by supporting emergency, law enforcement and national security efforts. Even though they are vital to our way of life, we rarely hear about antenna advancements. In this episode, we’re talking to an SwRI electrical engineer who helped develop a sophisticated antenna technology taking signals intelligence to a new level. His team won a prestigious R&D 100 Award for the AF-369 VHF/UHF ...
Feb 17, 2020•32 min
The future will be fast! That’s why our guests launch projectiles faster than Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. They’re studying hypersonic speeds in an SwRI lab, reaching thousands of miles per hour and temperatures hotter than the sun. In this episode, we discuss their discoveries and where their work could one day take us. Think commercial hypersonic flights, coast to coast, in an hour! In today’s Breakthroughs, earthquakes shake up a geologist’s view of nature, highlighting the vast con...
Jan 20, 2020•32 min
It’s shopping season. When we buy electronics and other products, we expect them to be reliable and safe. Our guest today is a product assurance expert who subjects consumer products and other equipment to a range of adverse conditions. Before you buy and use them, products in her lab have been exposed to extreme drops, peak temperatures and corrosive environments to make sure they hold up. In this episode, we discuss why extreme testing is critical. Plus, our expert shares some valuable consume...
Dec 15, 2019•27 min
The Technology Today Podcast is celebrating one year of giving listeners an inside perspective on world-changing science, engineering, research and technology through informative conversations with institute scientists and engineers. On this episode, we highlight some of our memorable “listen and learn” moments and introduce two new segments, “Breakthroughs,” personal stories of discovery told by the people who lived them and “Ask us Anything,” our SwRI experts answer your questions. Listen now ...
Nov 18, 2019•27 min
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In this episode, we highlight an innovative technology for doctors treating patients with breast cancer. SwRI engineers and pathologists from UT Health San Antonio combined their expertise to develop a computer algorithm that quickly detects and analyzes breast cancer tumor cells on pathology images. The algorithm holds promise for faster, more accurate cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. The team’s brilliant work is grabbing global attention. Lis...
Oct 21, 2019•31 min
Rumbling and shaking during an earthquake can trigger liquefaction, a dangerous process that causes solid ground to behave like a liquid. This can result in widespread destruction. Our guest today is part of a team compiling data from around the world to predict where this is likely to happen. If researchers can pinpoint high risk areas, communities can better prepare. Listen now as we explore the impact of earthquakes.
Sep 15, 2019•27 min
Collecting data from a hurricane before it makes landfall is key to saving lives and property. While current hurricane models can predict the path, there are often gaps in accurately predicting a storm’s intensity, or strength. NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is made up of eight microsatellites designed and built by Southwest Research Institute. The satellites use GPS signals to cut through the world’s strongest storms. Our guest in this episode is an SwRI engineer who...
Aug 19, 2019•31 min
What do you know about H2O? Where does our water come from? What does it take to keep it safe and clean, and how can we help? Our guest today is a groundwater hydrologist and an expert on managing our groundwater resources. From tracking water quality to developing new groundwater technology, he's a leading voice for our waterways. Coming up, the groundwater discussion is flowing on this episode of Technology Today.
Jul 15, 2019•28 min
For thousands of years, people have made things the same way, carving out a tool or a part from a bigger chunk of material. While humankind has had great achievements through conventional manufacturing, there’s a new manufacturing method emerging. Additive manufacturing is 3D printing of metal parts. Instead of starting with a block of material and molding it to create a part, the builder starts with a powder and lasers. The part is formed layer by layer from the bottom up to exact specification...
Jun 17, 2019•30 min
Do you wear a device to track your steps, heart rate or sleep patterns? Collecting data about ourselves is becoming mainstream. Add that information to your medical data and you have the makings of your own human digital twin. Our guests in this episode are Southwest Research Institute engineers Dan Nicolella and Kase Saylor. They explain what digital twins are, who they can benefit and why they have the potential to help us understand our health needs in a new and personal way. Plus, learn abou...
May 19, 2019•30 min
How do you lessen the chance of a deep sea disaster? Put your equipment through rigorous testing before it ever hits the water. Testing underwater equipment in the ocean is costly, but necessary for safety. The SwRI Ocean Simulation Lab is a reliable alternative and offers a sea of options. Our guest in this episode is Southwest Research Institute engineer Joe Crouch. He tells us how his team brings the ocean to life, recreating the temperatures and pressures of a deep sea dive, in an 18,000-squ...
Apr 15, 2019•25 min
Join us on a road trip. Our destination? The future of driving. Our guest is Dr. Steve Dellenback, vice president of the Intelligent Systems Division at Southwest Research Institute and an expert in the field of automated vehicles, or self-driving cars. The technology is in the fast lane and is already in limited use in commercial and military settings, but there are also plenty of road blocks. For instance, you program an automated car to obey traffic laws. So, how do you teach it to react in u...
Mar 14, 2019•35 min
What’s in our food? Scientists are chopping, grinding and pureeing their way to answers. In this episode, we meet food chemistry expert Lorraine Scheller, a food lab manager at Southwest Research Institute. Learn how her team breaks down our food, both fresh and processed, to test for everything from calories, carbs and vitamins to pesticides, plastic and residues. After nearly thirty years of food testing, hear what Scheller has to say about organic versus regular produce, the best way to clean...
Jan 14, 2019•26 min
Robots are busy behind the scenes, contributing to a variety of industries. How do robots impact our daily lives? What tasks are they taking on and who’s using them? SwRI robotics expert Matt Robinson says everything manufactured today is being touched by a robot! Join us as we discuss what robots do and what they are on track to accomplish in the future (think robots helping you around the house). Plus, have you ever heard of open source software? It’s software available to anyone, anywhere and...
Dec 10, 2018•31 min
Get ready for a front row seat on a history-making mission to the far reaches of the outer solar system! Southwest Research Institute space scientist Alan Stern is leading NASA’s galactic journey to the Kuiper Belt to explore 2014 MU69, or Ultima Thule, an object suspended in the “third zone” of our solar system, more than 6 billion kilometers from Earth. The New Horizons spacecraft will fly by Ultima Thule on New Year’s Day 2019. This is the farthest exploration of an object in space on the fas...
Nov 12, 2018•31 min
Hear from the experts making big ideas in tech, science, engineering and research a reality. Join us for the Technology Today Podcast presented by Southwest Research Institute. It’s a new way to listen and learn about the innovative solutions changing our world. Coming soon!
Oct 08, 2018•55 sec
