Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast

Ross Lockwood is a fascinating guy.  He spent four months on Mars... well not literally, and has a PHD in Condensed Matter Physics.  Ross believes in focusing on what interests you until you are pretty good at it, then switching to something else.  Ross is proof that all your interests can build upon each other and open doors that you may not have known of before.

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-154-transcription

Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.

Host: Al Del Degan I have been involved in software development for more than 25 years. I have started companies, lead companies and worked for companies - doing many different things. I am honored to be considered a leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem, and I give back as much, and often as I can. When I am not working or podcasting, you will find me pursuing my passions of photography, crypto investing, and wood working along with the occasional round of golf.

Guest: Ross Lockwood is a problem solver, from quantum to cosmological complexity. As a classically trained physicist his toolbox includes graduate-level mathematical analysis, high-level programming languages, advanced computer aided-design software, precision measurements tools, and the communication skills to share the stories with impact. 

Ross' recent work with KPMG has focused on applying analytics to large scale business problems; procuring and cleaning data, developing machine learning models, and generating visualizations and reports.

His PhD in Condensed Matter Physics was awarded as a result of Ross' research into the light emitting properties of silicon quantum dots. His thesis was based on the characterization of single-electron defects on the quantum dot surface, which played a dominant role in band shifting and luminescence quenching.

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Show Quotes:

"I figured I'll take a general science approach and I got to university, I took my first physics course and I said, I'm not going to be a doctor anymore. At least I'm not going to be a medical doctor. And I went on the full steam physics path, starting right after my first year undergraduate."

"so this HI-SEAS simulation is actually like a Mars habitat that's been built out on the mountain side of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. And they have been running studies since roughly 2012, um, in conjunction with the University of Hawaii and NASA, who provides funding, to do Mars ground simulations"

"at the end of my physics career, I was like, you know what, I've kind of reached the end of what I consider physics to be. I could go into research and I could narrow my focus even further, but it never felt right to me to confined myself to that box"

Links:

• Ross' blog site: http://spincrisis.com/elementary-my-dear-martian
• Ross' Twitter: https://twitter.com/spincrisis
• Amazon 4WD Raspberry Pi Robot Car Kit: https://amzn.to/3tOWLkB
• Home Assistant - Open Source home automation: https://www.home-assistant.io

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Assembly Coworking Space

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan