Hey everyone! Today we take a deep dive into microphones, which many of carry in our pockets everyday without even realizing it. In this episode I talk about this magnificent device that I and so many others rely on to be able to manipulate sound! I'll talk about how microphones are truly going to go a long way from the original carbon-based ones to futuristic laser ones, and so much more!

In this episode, we dive into a yet another thing you've probably noticed before but never stopped to think of how they worked. Cell towers are crucial to our daily life, taking over when Wi-Fi cannot. They keep us connected while traveling long distances, exploring remote areas, or just outside in public, where Wi-Fi is just impractical. Hit play to discover how cell towers work and how they may soon be replaced by satellites!

Sources:

https://www.ni.com/en/solutions/semiconductor/wireless-infrastructure-development/how-cell-towers-work.html?srsltid=AfmBOop_1UVbwgYzakFgizBMOvEyK9mcbIIsFH6W2x0MftwgBGObNXqp

https://howwirelessworks.ctia.org/

https://inseego.com/resources/blog/bringing-high-quality-5g-everywhere-with-5g-small-cells/

https://spectrum.ieee.org/satellite-cellphone-starlink

https://insidetowers.com/two-technologies-become-one-the-marriage-of-satellites-and-cellular/

https://www.minew.com/overview-of-cellular-network/

In this episode, we dive into one of the most influential creations of the 21st century, Wi-Fi. It's so important that the moment it stops working, everyone in the room immediately notices. We dive into how this creation changed from only being used by the government to being one of the most implemented technologies yet, and also discover how it works.

Sources:

https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/topics/networking/what-is-ofdma.html

https://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm

https://www.britannica.com/technology/wireless-communications

https://www.wifirst.com/en/blog/thehistoryofwifitechnology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/role-satellites-5g-networks

https://medium.com/@AmericanPublicU/the-origins-and-growth-of-telecommunication-cell-towers-part-ii-75f37c206797

Have you ever wondered how cameras work? Turning what you see in front of your eyes into a physical memory? This episode dives into how this instantaneous technology came to be.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/technology/photography

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cameras-photography/digital/digital-camera.htm

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/thermal-imaging.htm

https://www.smartprix.com/bytes/sony-new-stacked-cmos-sensors/

https://spectrum.ieee.org/hyperspectral-imaging

Television is one of those things that everyone sits behind, yet know nothing about the pixels dancing across their screens. TV had such primitive beginnings, and is bound to go so far to holographic imaging. This episode dives into our primary entertainment source.

Sources:

https://www.dolby.com/experience/home-entertainment/articles/what-is-surround-sound-and-how-it-works/#howsurroundsoundworks

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv.htm

https://www.samsung.com/us/tvs/tv-buying-guide/led-vs-oled-vs-qled-vs-neo-qled/

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/television

https://www.britannica.com/technology/television-technology

https://www.technologyreview.com/2010/11/03/261273/a-step-toward-holographic-videoconferencing-2/

https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-electronic-display-of-the-future

Constant, unwavering light is so common and important to us that we hardly notice it when we use it, but is the first thing we notice when it's gone. In this episode, we explore how this necessity came to be, how it works, and how it might even replace wi-fi in the future.

Sources:

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7975997

https://lifi.co/how-lifi-works/

https://www.oledworks.com/old-pages/education/what-is-oled-lighting/

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9299585

https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us

https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-light-bulb

https://www.britannica.com/technology/fluorescent-lamp

https://www.britannica.com/technology/incandescent-lamp

https://spectrum.ieee.org/let-there-be-light

Have you ever wondered how those things that you stick in your ear to listen to music actually connect to your device and play whatever you want? Even though it seems almost like magic, there is a lot of complex tech behind Bluetooth, which we will discuss simply in this episode.

Sources:

https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/tech-overview/

https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/north-america/2022/ericsson-bluetooth

https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/connectivity/bluetooth/bluetooth-low-energy-how-does-it-work.php?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-how-does-bluetooth-work/

https://www.bluetooth.com/bluetooth-resources/mrn-le-audio/

https://www.nordicsemi.com/-/media/Publications/Wireless-Quarter-pdf/2025/a_NS_WQ_Issue_1_2025.pdf

Has your calculator ever functioned despite having no batteries in them? Well that was due to a small solar panel on the top, which is what we'll be diving into in this episode. We'll talk about the evolution of solar panels, how they might be integrated into almost every part of our life, and how these seemingly magical panels truly work.

Sources:

https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-solar

https://www.britannica.com/technology/solar-cell

https://www.britannica.com/science/photovoltaic-effect

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/10/solar-panel-innovations/

https://news.mit.edu/2020/roadmap-scaling-perovskites-solar-0206

https://www.iberdrola.com/about-us/what-we-do/solar-photovoltaic-energy/history-solar-energy

https://history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/energy/solar-power/the-photovoltaic-effect-and-the-development-of-solar-technology.aspx