omega tau is a podcast that covers all kinds of interesting things in science in technology. We publish episodes in regular intervals (though, not too often :-)) on whatever we find interesting. We also pride ourselves in really good production value.Example topics include suborbital space flight, Earthrace, flying sailplanes or computational thinking.


omega tau
wissenschaft und technik im kopfhoerer / science and engineering in your headphones

/39/ Electron Microscopes
by admin
18 hours ago
This is an episode about electron microscopes with Bernard van Vlimmeren and Kees Kooijman of FEI Company. Among other things, we talk about the various kinds of electron microscopes, the components that go into electron microscopes, the important role of the sensors and a couple of example applications.
/38/ Klimasimulation beim DKRZ
by admin
15 Jul 2010 at 2:40pm
Diese Episode ist ein Gespräch mit Michael Böttinger und Jana Meyer ueber Klimasimulation beim Deutschen Klimarechenzentrum (DKRZ). Zunächst sprechen wir darüber, was Klima ausmacht und wie es sich vom Wetter unterscheidet. Wir diskutieren dann einige klimarelevante Simulationsparameter wie z.B. Sonneneinstrahlung oder der Wasserdampf- und CO2-Gehalt der Atmosphaere. Im zweiten Teil unterhalten wir uns ueber die theoretischen Aspekte der Simulation: welche Verfahren werden verwendet, welche Parameter werden in welcher Genauigkeit simuliert und wie geht man mit chaotischen Effekten um. Im dritten Teil sprechen wir über die praktischen Aspek...
/37/ Meteorologie
by admin
3 Jul 2010 at 2:13pm
In dieser Episode besprechen wir die Grundlagen der Meteorologie mit Professor Dr. Manfred Wendisch, dem Leiter des Instituts für Meteorologie an der Uni Leipzig. Themen auf die wir eingehen sind unter anderem: was ist Wetter (im Unterschied zu Klima), wie entsteht Wetter, olken, Tiefdruckgebiete sowie einige spezifische Wetterphänomene wie Gewitter und Föhn. Diese Episode legt auch den Grundstein für zuknftige Episoden zu Klima, Wetter und Atmosphärenphysik.
/36/ The 360 World Record
by admin
19 Jun 2010 at 4:00am
This episode is a conversation with Flavien Guderzo (First Officer) and Tom Zorman (Operations) about the 360 World Record, where a crew of three and a couple of journalists flew around the world in a North American Sabreliner, establishing a new world record. In the episode we talk about the preparations for the flight as well as the flight itself from the perspective of the flight crew, as well as from the perspective of the operations on the ground.
/35/ Moderne ELoks am Beispiel der Bombardier TRAXX
by admin
3 Jun 2010 at 5:30am
In dieser Episode geht es um moderne ELoks am Beispiel der Bombardier TRAXX. Mitte April hatte ich die Gelegenheit Bombardier in Mannheim zu besuchen. Dort habe ich mich zunächst mit Michael Weinhardt über die technischen Grundlagen der TRAXX unterhalten. Später sind wir dann zum Gueterbahnhof gefahren wo Bombardier zusammen mit der DB einen Wartungsstützpunkt für die TRAXX unterhält. Zusammen mit Willi Denk haben wir uns dann eine TRAXX genauer angesehen und auch diese Besichtigung aufgezeichnet. Ich habe auch einige Fotos gemacht.
/34/ Space Medicine and Telemedicine
by admin
18 May 2010 at 3:43pm
This episode is a conversation with NASA "space doctor" Jim Logan about space medicine and telemedicine. We start by defining the two concepts and how they relate. We then delve deeper into various specific medical issues in space (such as fluid shifts, bone mass loss and radiation). Next up is a discussion of the history of telemedicine and its relationship to space medicine, which leads us to looking astronauts can be treated for "normal" diseases from ground. We concluse the episode with an outlook on how telemedicine might develop in the future.
/33/ Deep Wreck Diving
by admin
6 May 2010 at 3:38pm
This episode is a conversation with John Chatterton about deep wreck diving. We cover some of the dangers and challenges, as well as the fascination of the sport. We also talk about the discovery of U 869, which was mainly John Chatterton's achievement (as documented in the book Shadow Divers).
/32/ Das Robotersegelboot Roboat
by admin
23 Apr 2010 at 3:03am
Diese Episode ist ein Gespräch mit Roland Stelzer über das Roboat, ein autonomes Roboter-Segelboot. Wir gehen ein auf einige Grundlagen des Segelns, die Technik des Segelbootes (Sensoren, Aktoren, Regelung, Routenplanung) sowie auf Anwendungsfelder für autonome Segelboote bspw. in der Ozeanforschung.
/31/ The Millennium Simulation
by admin
11 Apr 2010 at 2:12pm
This episode is a conversation with Volker Springel about the Millenium Simulation, which at the time was the largest simulation of the growth of cosmic structure, including a detailed model for the formation of galaxies and supermassive black holes. In the episode we talk about the physical/cosmological background, the simulation process and approach as well as some details about the hard- and software.
/30/ The Large Hadron Collider
by admin
28 Mar 2010 at 5:38am
This episode is a conversation with CERN's Rolf Landua about the Large Hadron Collider. We start out by discussing the science and theory behind the LHC what the LHC aims to research, including the higgs boson, the standard model, super symmetry and extra dimensions. We then talked about how the LHC works (proton source, acceleration, superconducting magnets). We conclude the conversation by looking at the LHC experiments and discussing in some detail how the ATLAS detector works.
/29/ Baustatik und -dynamik
by admin
17 Mar 2010 at 11:18am
In dieser Episode unterhalte ich mich mich mit Prof. Dr. Manfred Bischoff vom Institut für Baustatik und Baudynamik der Uni Stuttgart. Wir unterhalten uns über die Auslegung von Gebäuden und Brücken sowie über mathematische Verfahren zur Berechnung und Simulation, insbesondere die Finite Elemente Methode.
/28/ Neutron Science at the ILL
by admin
5 Mar 2010 at 11:38am
This episode covers neutron science at the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble. Helmut Schober and Ulli Köster cover what neutron science is used for, some interesting scientific experiments conducted at ILL as well as the physical fundamentals and the workings of the reactor and the detectors. We conclude the epsiode with a discussion of the ILL as a "research service facility" that offers all-around research support to visiting scientists.
/27/ Seismologie
by admin
19 Feb 2010 at 2:56pm
Gespräch mit Professor Heiner Igel über Erdbeben und Seismologie. Es geht darum, wie ein Erdbeben entsteht, welche Art von Wellen sich ausbreiten, wie man diese messen und die Stärke des Erdbebens bestimmen kann. Außerdem sprechen wir darüber, welche weiteren Informationen man aus den Messdaten gewinnen kann und an welchen Themen aktuell geforscht wird.
/26/ Satellite Buses
by admin
2 Feb 2010 at 11:53am
This is an episode on how satellites work with James Penson from Surrey Satellite Technology. Specifically we talk about satellite buses, the infrastructure part of the satellite on which the (typically scientific) payload is mounted. The conversation covers structure, thermal protection, energy supply, communication, guidance and attitude control as well as propulsion. This will be the last episode on space related topics for the time being :-)
/25/ Aerodynamic Lift Explained
by admin
28 Jan 2010 at 2:42pm
This episode is a bit different. I produced it together with Joe D'Eon from the wonderful Fly With Me podcast. Together, we explored the question of how aerodynamic lift really works - in other words: why airplanes fly. He went out and asked a fellow pilot about what he thinks how lift works. I went to the University of Stuttgart's Intitute for Aero- and Gasdynamics and talked with Thorsten Lutz. He explained the details of how it works. If his explanation still doesn't do it for you, take a look at Wikipedia. They have a couple of nice illustrations.