The Aspiring STEM Geek

Adrian Dolinay

Hi everyone, welcome to The Aspiring STEM Geek! The podcast is a casual conversation with a guest about science, technology and other related topics.

  1. OCT 13

    Tech News with Shawn Dutill - #16

    In this episode we have a repeat guest, Shawn Dutill. Shawn is a Systems Engineer and programmer. In the episode we talk about the latest trends and news in tech including the newly released iPhone Air, digital content consumption, Microsoft ending support for Windows 10, open source versus proprietary technology, data centers, music we are listening to and more. I hope you enjoy! The articles cited are listed in the PDF posted on GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717/YouTube-Tutorials/tree/main/Tech%20Talks CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8 |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:06 – Adrian’s favorite podcast ep so far 3:16 – Apple’s iPhone Air 6:11 – Digital content consumption 19:00 – Downsides of the iPhone Air 20:36 – AI in camera photo processing 22:34 – Windows 10 End of Support 27:57 – Microsoft Recall and privacy 37:09 – Open Source vs Proprietary software 46:38 – Technology Certifications 1:00:11 – Large Language Models (LLMs) 1:23:48 – Data Centers 1:50:51 – Science Fiction Books 1:56:16 – Podcast and YouTube Tech Recommendations 1:58:49 – Music 2:09:30 – Conclusion

    2h 16m

  2. SEP 5

    Mechanical Engineering and Snow Making with Yaroslav Stanchak - #15

    In this episode I talk to Yaroslav Stanchak. Yaroslav is a mechanical engineer with over 40 years of experience. In the episode we talk about how Yaroslav and his family immigrated to the U.S. after World War 2, how he became interested in science fiction and mechanics as a kid, attending Northeastern University for his mechanical engineering degree, working at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Rhode Island, then moving onto a storied career in snow making where he invented the legendary K-3000 snow gun. Unfortunately halfway through the episode the audio cut, but this is still an amazing conversation worth checking out. I hope you enjoy!ARTICLES:Displaced Persons Camps in Post-World War II Germany from Museums Victoria: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/13619Mark 48 Wire Guided Torpedo from the Smithsonian: https://americanhistory.si.edu/subs/weapons/armament/torpedoes/index.html#Wet Bulb Temperature from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperatureFinding the Right Words (Snow Quality Article) by Yaroslav Stanchak: https://www.saminfo.com/images/magimages/Archive_PDFs/FindingTheRightWords.pdfTribute: K-3000 Snowgun from 4241′ Magazine: https://www.davidyoungphoto.com/portfolios/tribute-k3000-snowgun/ Jon Kuehn VIDEOS:Gunrunners from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXW_lA1qYUg&ab_channel=JacksonHoleMountainResortCONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinayPODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8|-Video Chapters-|0:00 – Intro

    42 min

  3. AUG 4

    Software Engineering, Coding Bootcamps & Nerd Pop Culture with Brittany Huber & Bradley Knutson - #14

    In this episode I talk with Bradley Knutson and BrittanyHuber. Both Bradley and Brittney work in tech; Bradley is a full stack developer and Brittany is a support engineer. In the episode we talk about the coding bootcamp Bradley and Brittany attended, breaking into the tech field,full stack development, debugging complex systems, AI’s potential disruption in the job market, nerd pop culture and we finish off with Bradley taste testing ghost pepper sauce. I hope you enjoy! ARTICLES:‘Diablo IV’ developers work long hours, bracing for impending release from TheWashington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/12/08/diablo-iv-release-date-crunch/ What is Full Stack Development? from AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/full-stack-development/ What is Git? From git-scm: https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-What-is-Git%3FThe Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum : https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ Louis Slotin and the criticality accident in Los Alamos from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin#Criticality_accident Louis Slotin And 'The Invisible Killer' by Martin Zeilig: https://web.archive.org/web/20080516101332/http://www.mphpa.org/classic/FH/LA/Louis_Slotin_1.htm TEXTBOOK:Learn Python the Hard Way by Zed Shaw: https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Python-Hard-Way-Introduction/dp/0321884914 CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible:https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8 |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro1:44 – Getting introduced to tech3:45 – The dreams and realities of video game development6:47 – Attending a coding bootcamp8:14 – Tutorial hell14:40 – Learning full stack development at the coding bootcamp22:23 – Group projects and version control (Git, GitHub)27:10 – Is a university education or coding bootcamp worth it in an age of AI?31:57 – Working as a Teaching Assistant36:15 – Working with your sibling in the same company38:26 – Managing and troubleshooting email systems41:15 – Backend development47:04 – Louis Slotin and the Criticality accident during the Manhattan Project49:06 – Animal fun fact51:05 – If you could study something different in school what would it be?54:41 – Travel and trying new things1:00:00 – Which anime character would you cosplay?1:02:15 – Brittany’s travels1:03:49 – Exotic foods1:05:54 – Marvel, Toad and Pokémon1:08:27 – Pokémon cards are an investment in the 21st century…1:13:07 – Labubu1:14:57 – Hot One’s copycat1:14:57 – Conclusion

    1h 21m

  4. JUN 30

    The Military, Helicopters and Cybersecurity with Carl Denis - #13

    In this episode I talk to Carl Denis. Carl is a Cybersecurity Engineer. In the episode we talk about Carl’s experience growing up in Haiti, moving to the United States, joining the US Army, working as a helicopter repairer & crew chief, cloud computing, programming, cybersecurity and music recommendations. I hope you enjoy! Haitian Non-Profit P4H Global: https://p4hglobal.org/ ARTICLES:POWER OF AI: Wild predictions of power demand from AI put industry on edge: https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/101623-power-of-ai-wild-predictions-of-power-demand-from-ai-put-industry-on-edgeZero Trust Security Explained: Principles of the Zero Trust Model: https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/cybersecurity-101/zero-trust-security/The Attack on Colonial Pipeline: What We’ve Learned & What We’ve Done Over the Past Two Years: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/attack-colonial-pipeline-what-weve-learned-what-weve-done-over-past-two-yearsThe vast and sophisticated global enterprise that is Scam Inc (Pig butchering):https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/06/the-vast-and-sophisticated-global-enterprise-that-is-scam-incGoogle Voice for VOIP: https://workspace.google.com/products/voice/ODIE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odiexyz/?hl=enODIE on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5aMIbwZQvP2MHPMVC5zCGjAfrobeats playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EQqFPe2ux3rbj CONNECT: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X:https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible:https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8 |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:15 – Growing up in Haiti 5:24 – The 2010 earthquake in Haiti 12:10 – Non-Profit in Haiti 13:35 – Moving to the United States 19:20 – Haitian Creole and Louisiana Creole 26:50 – Carl’s decision to join the US Army 35:01 – Carl’s experience working with helicopters 38:06 – The crew chief and pilot relationship 41:00 – The heaviest object Carl tied to a Black Hawk 42:46 – Being a door gunner 46:19 – Dealing with stressful flights 54:38 – Going to Arizona State University for IT & cyber security 56:24 – Carl joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) 1:00:49 – Carl working on his first app 1:04:35 – Learning and using AI/ML 1:07:27 – Adrian’s app idea 1:10:05 – Cloud computing 1:15:37 – Services provided by cloud companies 1:17:31 – Zero Trust, a cyber security concept 1:19:02 – Common cloud compute misconfigurations 1:21:05 – Colonial pipeline hack 1:24:38 – Pig butchering and other cyber scams 1:28:15 – Entertaining the scammers 1:30:47 – Voice over IP (VOIP) is worth it 1:31:48 – The coolest places Carl visited while with the Army 1:35:07 – Music recommendations 1:39:17 – Conclusion

    1h 43m

  5. JUN 2

    Software, AI and Sports with Jeffin Johnykutty - #12

    In this episode I talk to Jeffin Johnykutty who is a graduate student studying Computer Science at Temple University. In the episode we talk about Jeffin got into programming, sports analytics, WWE, holding a leadership position at University and an AI paper Jeffin and his colleagues wrote at Temple University. I hope you enjoy!Jeffin’s AI Paper - "All Roads Lead to ChatGPT": How Generative AI is Eroding Social Interactions and Student Learning Communities: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.09779CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8|-Video Chapters-|0:00 – Intro0:54 – Jeffin’s introduction to tech & computers6:18 – Declaring a computer science major at Temple University8:53 – Jeffin’s favorite comp sci class at University14:47 – Building Blastpad, a handheld gaming and coding computer23:29 – Joining TUDev, a comp sci club27:35 – Holding a leadership position at University33:05 – American Football & Sports Analytics38:16 – Gambling and sports44:44 – Eagles winning the Superbowl in 201847:29 – Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)55:47 – Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and LLMs1:11:37 – Human Computer Interaction1:14:30 – Jeffin’s AI paper (linked above)1:34:50 – Jeffin’s current work as an IT Admin1:39:20 – The non-technical aspect of tech1:42:52 – Video Games1:52:25 – Hobbies

    1h 57m

  6. MAY 6

    Software Engineering, DevOps and Gaming with Shawn Dutill - #9

    In this episode I talk with Shawn Dutill who is a Systems Engineer and a programmer. In the episode we talk about how we navigated community college, how we were introduced to programming, meeting at a computer science club at Temple University, dealing with work stressors, DevOps, virtualization, video games and much more. I hope you enjoy! INTRO/OUTRO SONG: Big Stepper by BigXthaPlug CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717 X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpiHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8 |-Video Chapters-|0:00 - Intro0:58 - Adrian talks about teaching2:07 - Creating long form YouTube tutorials6:15 - Probably the most useful thing Adrian will teach: "CTRL + F"7:22 - Windows shortcuts & transitioning full time to Linux10:20 - Video games Shawn played growing up11:57 - League of Legends (LoL)15:12 - Single-player video games19:00 - Old school programmers22:22 - Programming classes at University27:19 - Trying to learn C++ by modeling financial derivatives30:06 - Working a HVAC job in Philadelphia31:45 - Adrian's Community College experiences34:40 - Don't buy a purple Camaro...36:46 - Why Adrian started learning to program41:56 - Shawn's learning about lower level programming43:40 - Spacewar! The first video game on a computer44:25 - Abstractions in the electronic & physical world47:02 - Shawn's favorite experience with TUDev (a comp sci club)49:45 - Trying to figure out what to study in college57:59 - Shawn's work at Lockheed Martin1:04:52 - Transitioning from Community College to a 4 year university1:08:00 - Finding people that are passionate about learning1:13:25 - Shawn's Web Development internship1:23:34 - Shawn's current System Engineering role1:45:29 - Dealing with work stressors1:48:32 - Dungeons & Dragons1:53:14 - Ideal features for a social media platforms1:55:51 - Discord & Discord Bots1:57:20 - Pokémon Cards, Meme Coins and NFTs2:00:13 - Reddit, Millennials probably suck now2:04:13 - Normies vs. techies2:05:44 - Big tech companies will eventually get disrupted2:10:04 - Video games Adrian & Shawn are currently playing2:17:40 - Conclusion

    2h 20m

  7. MAY 2

    Finance, Economics and Management with Matt Taylor - #11

    In this episode I talk with Matthew Taylor. Matt is a portfolio manager with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. We discuss how Matt became interested in finance & economics, Bell Labs, Matt's time as a consultant in the Utilities industry, investing during the Russian default & Asian currency crisis, private equity, hedge funds, the business of AI and book recommendations. Hope you enjoy! CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: From Third World to First: The Singapore Story The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner Stuck by Yoni Appelbaum The Autobiography of Malcolm X |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 - Intro 1:34 - Growing up in an Academic family 2:48 - Bell Labs 6:02 - Matt's initial interest in Finance & Economics 11:05 - Studying Economics in Swarthmore College 12:25 - Philadelphia's Rise & eventual struggles with deindustrialization 15:04 - Matt's time in the Electric Utility industry 19:04 - The financial/economic regime during the 1990's 23:30 - China's Manufacturing Sector 26:40 - Software as the driver of manufacturing 28:04 - Value investing during the Dot Com Bubble bust 31:37 - Portfolio Management 35:45 - Finance from different perspectives 38:38 - Innovation in South East Asia 40:03 - Private equity, hedge funds, venture capital 50:55 - The new buzz word in finance 52:25 - The Business of AI 57:41 - Natural gas and other energy sources 1:03:35 - Real estate 1:06:45 - Interest rates and manager performance 1:10:50 - The GameStop Episode 1:17:13 - Financial market shock of April 2025 1:20:40 - Automation in manufacturing 1:22:58 - China exports of electric vehicles 1:24:20 - Matt's trip to the Galápagos Islands 1:26: 45 - Matt & Adrian's Book recommendations 1:32:20 - Matt & Adrian's news source recommendations 1:34:03 - Conclusion

    1h 37m

  8. APR 1

    The Aspiring STEM Geek - Computer Science, Robotics and Teaching with Jacob Snarr - #10

    In this episode I talk to Jacob Snarr who is a software engineer. In the episode we talk about learning programming languages at a young age, Jacob’s experience with programming robots, computer science, software engineering, the challenges of remote learning, 3d printing, retro electronics, and as always video games. I hope you enjoy! Little Horse GitHub Repo: https://github.com/littlehorse-enterprises/littlehorse ARTICLES: Implementation of Fuzzy Control Algorithm in Two-Wheeled Differential Drive Platform: https://blog.nus.edu.sg/chenguoyi/implementation-of-fuzzy-control-algorithm-in-two-wheeled-differential-drive-platform/ OpenAI Cuts Off Engineer Who Used API to Create Voice-Controlled Gun from PCMag: https://www.pcmag.com/news/openai-cuts-off-engineer-who-used-api-to-create-voice-controlled-gun Don’t Even Try Paying Cash in China from the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/technology/alipay-china.html Java Virtual Threads from Oracle:https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/21/core/virtual-threads.html What is Prompt Engineering? from MSU Denverhttp://msudenver.edu/ai/prompt-engineering-guide/ Entropy from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy Introduction to Hypothesis Testing from Penn State’s Eberly College of Science: https://online.stat.psu.edu/stat500/lesson/6a/6a.1 The basics of the array data structure from Emory College of Arts and Sciences: https://www.cs.emory.edu/~cheung/Courses/170/Syllabus/09/basics.html Steam now explicitly states you don’t own the digital games you’re buying from PCWorld: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2487761/steam-now-explicitly-states-you-dont-own-the-digital-games-youre-buying.html Space Marine 2's free 4K texture pack takes up more space than the entire base game from PCGamer: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/space-marine-2s-free-4k-texture-pack-takes-up-more-space-than-the-entire-base-game-and-youre-gonna-need-some-serious-hardware-to-run-it/ VIDEOS: OpenAI Shuts Down Developer Who Made AI-Powered Gun Turret! from AI panorama - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mykcYrpNq_U CONNECT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/ GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0 Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824 Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV?si=26e034e416f446d8 |-Video Chapters-| 0:00 – Intro 1:08 – Learning to program at a young age 5:09 – Developing Discord Bots 6:45 – Call of Duty and Super Smash Bros 64 9:38 – Jacob’s experience with Robotics 17:08 – Boston Dynamics type Robots from China 19:38 – ChatGPT Powered Gun 21:51 – Jacob Competing in a robotics competition in China 27:13 – Technological innovation in China 32:15 – Learning Java for programming 34:53 – Zoom University 39:26 – ChatGPT and learning 43:11 – Prompt Engineering 44:36 – Kids these days and desktops… 46:16 – Adrian complaining about macOS GUIs 49:34 – Jacob’s favorite computer science courses at university 52:17 – Jacob’s Hackathon Project 59:01 – Tutoring students in computer science 1:06:02 – Teaching programming with Lua and Roblox 1:09:41 – Minecraft Servers 1:10:14 – Jacob’s current work as an open source maintainer 1:16:00 – The curly braces are giving me double vision 1:17:21 – Data Science vs Software Engineering 1:20:15 – AlphaGo 1:22:16 – Jacob's work trip to Ecuador 1:24:02 – High elevation can take your breath away 1:25:07 – Adrian's trip to Brazil 1:26:26 – Jellyfish urban myth? 1:27:19 – Video games 1:34:49 – 3D printing 1:41:06 – Jacob's retro electronics collection 1:46:14 – Conclusion

    1h 48m
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About

Hi everyone, welcome to The Aspiring STEM Geek! The podcast is a casual conversation with a guest about science, technology and other related topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Adrian Dolinay
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Adrian Dolinay
  • Show Website
    The Aspiring STEM Geek