Making Cool Stuff w/ Estefannie
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by computer scientist, engineer, maker, and content creator Estefannie. They talk about her fun and wacky builds, including a smart litterbox, Jurassic goggles, and Daft Punk helmet. Follow Estefannie: @estefanniegg.
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00:00.00
talknerdy
Well ah Stephanie thank you so much for joining me today.
00:03.40
Estefannie
Oh thank you for inviting me I'm very excited today.
00:07.37
talknerdy
I am too I'm so excited to talk about your work about your career about your interests and just kind of learn a little bit more about you. So you're kind of like. An engineer a maker a Tinkerer a doer of all things. How would you usually describe yourself when people ask what it is that you do.
00:26.28
Estefannie
Ah, that's a great question I'm still trying to figure that out. Ah I was I guess um trained as a software engineer or a scientist. But then later I learned how to be an actual engineer and and now.
00:36.32
talknerdy
Okay.
00:45.63
Estefannie
When you you mentioned I tinker so I like to think that I'm sort of like the version. My version of what in the 90 s an inventor looked like or the eighty s ninety s kind of like the ah honey I shrunk the kids inventor. Um, so I like to think that I am like a wannabe inventor like that.
01:04.43
talknerdy
I love that and so you you actually were born and grew up in Mexico correct and were you stumbling upon these interests in your kind of earlier ages.
01:05.14
Estefannie
Yes.
01:10.28
Estefannie
Yes, that is correct. Um.
01:18.95
Estefannie
Um, no actually I didn't know I could do any of these things I I was only exposed to pop culture and like pop culture is in like oh I want to be Madonna when I grow up kind of thing I yeah and I did watch those movies.
01:24.43
talknerdy
E.
01:33.88
talknerdy
Riot.
01:37.45
Estefannie
Honey I shrank the kids where there's like this inventor or like even flubber or whatever but I never I thought I would have to go to like some Ivy League college and be a man to be able to do those things so I never saw myself as them. But I I definitely enjoy them. Um.
01:47.97
talknerdy
E.
01:55.18
talknerdy
And so you moved then to Texas that's also where I grew I grew up in Texas so you moved to Texas when you were a little bit older. We both went to to university there but I was in North Texas at at UT and you were in in Houston so tell me.
01:56.80
Estefannie
Yeah, but.
02:01.14
Estefannie
Who. Okay, yeah.
02:12.50
talknerdy
Little bit about that I mean that must have been a big transition.
02:13.21
Estefannie
It was ah but also I was like ready for that I think um yeah I wanted a change in my life. It felt like um the us was the way to go and I had family there. They they opened the doors for me. So I said definitely yes.
02:19.38
talknerdy
Mmm.
02:31.29
Estefannie
Um, it. It took a long time to be able to go to the university of Houston as an international student because I didn't know how hard it was going to be. But yeah, after a long a few years of community college and and trying to get scholarships and student loans I was finally able to transfer to the university of houston where I had already declared my major to computer science and mathematics.
02:52.75
talknerdy
Okay, so something did happen between sort of when you were still living in Mexico and coming to Texas and and kind of starting to dedicate yourself as a student where you discovered computer science and math.
03:05.22
Estefannie
Yes, oh yes, it was in Houston when I discovered computer science and math. Actually I I had to start from the you know from scratch at the community college none of my none of my classes were transferred from Mexico to Texas.
03:21.24
talknerdy
M.
03:23.64
Estefannie
So I had to start from scratch and I failed that for like that test to the I guess enroll enrollment test like terribly so I had to start like math from like the lowest lows they had yeah and so I think oh sorry yeah no.
03:33.83
talknerdy
Right? Yeah, oh no, you're good I was just going to say I think that's kind of not uncommon for a lot of you know so-called quote nontraditional students I also went to Community college before I started at the University level.
03:50.45
Estefannie
Yeah.
03:51.86
talknerdy
Um, and and I hear this story a lot from from especially um, ah, young adults who attend commuter colleges that sort of the the community college experience really does help them reorient because we cannot assume that even in um. Ah, like certain American high schools that we're getting the appropriate training or the appropriate background that we need to be ah ready for some of these college level classes.
04:15.60
Estefannie
Yes, that's exactly right? And also I think so we're not ready and also how can we know at that age what we want to do I didn't know.
04:24.42
talknerdy
Absolutely yeah.
04:30.47
Estefannie
Didn't know until much later. Yeah, so that's I started math from scratch and that's after like the second or third class I like ah like I was getting closer and closer to. Geometry or whatever I was like wow I think I really like math and I didn't know that about myself because I grew up thinking I was bad at math. And so yeah, yeah, it was until community college that I realized I I really liked math and I didn't know how I was gonna apply that to a major because I was like I don't think I should study math. Maybe I should I don't know how I also didn't know how that was applicable in in the real world.
05:05.82
talknerdy
Right.
05:07.53
Estefannie
It was just mathematics I was like how I mean I still don't see I like it but I still don't see how I'm gonna use it. Um and and it was it wasn't it was also it it was again hollywood that helped me find my path I was watching the pixar story. It's a documentary about. Pixar and the founders and that's when I found out that the founders were all computer scientists and I thought that was really cool. Yeah, and and so I just went on Wikipedia I looked up what computer science was I read the description it scared me I was like I don't know. Okay I'm gonna try it that was it I just did it.
05:30.71
talknerdy
Yeah.
05:45.95
Estefannie
and and and I took my first programming class and I loved it and I guess the rest is history.
05:49.50
talknerdy
Oh I Love that story. So so much I'm curious from your perspective. How much do you feel like the sort of I don't know if we want to call it like imposter syndrome or the experience of feeling like you know this is not.
05:53.00
Estefannie
Yeah.
06:00.43
Estefannie
Who yeah.
06:06.36
talknerdy
Ah, path for me how much of that. Do you think really was steeped in how culturally we raise our young girls. How culturally we treat girls and and kind of put different expectations on them.
06:17.84
Estefannie
Well ooh, that's a really good question I think I think math is the one that like mathematics helped me know that I could do computer science because I like I said I just didn't know I could do math I thought I was bad at it I was told.
06:29.28
talknerdy
M.
06:37.76
Estefannie
Consistently by my mom that I was not good at math and I believed it I think I already came in with a very defeated attitude towards it so teachers could also see that but I don't I don't think I.
06:38.27
talknerdy
Yeah, interesting. So Mom was a big influence there. What about your teachers. What about other students right.
06:54.76
Estefannie
I recognized a teacher specifically saying I was bad at math it was more of like at home and I just thought well fine I'm one of those people that are not good at math because apparently in our I think all cultures. Ah well at least I can say I can speak from Mexico in the Us but it feels like you're either good at math.
06:56.32
talknerdy
E.
07:07.74
talknerdy
M.
07:12.84
Estefannie
You're bad at math and if you're bad at math and you're probably good at writing or something like that. Um.
07:15.18
talknerdy
Right? There is that sort of very binary view but I do worry that so often it's the little boys that are told they're good at math and that are fostered in that in that sort of math and engineering way and girls aren't expected to have those kinds of skills and so they're not built up in that way and they don't develop. The kind of self-esteem that we need to think we're good at this.
07:35.81
Estefannie
Exactly Yes I I definitely I can see that. However, there's definitely a divide and it's very binary like you said and so.
07:40.21
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, um, it's so good then to hear that you were able to overcome that when you noticed in yourself, um a passion and an interest that you were able to say you know what I'm going to try and even if it feels hard.
07:56.43
Estefannie
Ah.
07:58.39
talknerdy
And even if even though other people have said that maybe this isn't the path for me. Um I'm going to prove that to myself first I I love that so much and so okay, at this point now you're in Texas. Oh and I have to know were you already bilingual when you were living in Mexico.
08:02.96
Estefannie
Exactly Oh yes, Um, and yeah.
08:17.95
talknerdy
Um, had you already were you already speaking english fluently or did you have to work on that when you came to Texas as well.
08:22.32
Estefannie
Well I I guess I could say I already knew it well enough to be able to like I was bilingual but I had never had to speak it or listen to it for like all day. So yeah, the first.
08:37.42
talknerdy
Ehe.
08:39.23
Estefannie
I think the first few months or first year it was really hard to yeah, just do that switch of like oh all day english at school or yeah, that was hard that was really really hard.
08:47.66
talknerdy
Yeah, and how about now now that you've you know you've you've kind of been there. You've done that you've been in the states for quite some time and you're doing all of this amazing work. Do you find that? ah you kind Of. Speak Spanish at home and speak English in in like more ah public settings. Do you find that you're more of like a spanglish speaker and and also I'm curious. What language you usually dream in or or think in.
09:09.44
Estefannie
Ah. Oh oh,, That's that's great. Um, so for dreams I Want to start there I think ah I I think they're usually like not non-language just I guess images or ideas and thoughts I don't think they're in a language but I.
09:19.41
talknerdy
Ah.
09:25.26
talknerdy
ME.
09:31.26
Estefannie
Remember there was 1 time when I was studying french and I was like using a lot of those little french phrases and sayings I was learning so that made me think about that I was like wait I had a dream in french that means I've never dreamt in any other language I think because this is the first time. Yeah, yeah.
09:42.74
talknerdy
Wow, That's that's so weird and cool.
09:50.27
Estefannie
So That's for dreams. Um I think I There's definitely a lot of I think I feel like I was much better at English during college and then um I relaxed a lot more afterwards working as a software engineer when I realized that. A lot of us were international and it was like oh I guess I don't have to try too hard anymore and maybe my English just got worse after that.
10:08.78
talknerdy
E.
10:20.68
talknerdy
Gotcha gotcha so you were able to fall back on some of that kind of that that native Spanish speaking and and is that is that how you talk to your family. Yeah, and of course.
10:26.44
Estefannie
Yeah, yes in Spanish and also but if I have to oh sorry I just roll if I have just explain anything about anything about math or or programming anything that I've studied I cannot I cannot say it in Spanish at all I couldn't even translate it. Yeah.
10:39.99
talknerdy
Ah, oh interesting because you learned all of that information in english oh how interesting and and of course do you live in, you still live in Houston.
10:45.99
Estefannie
Yes, yes. Yes I do.
10:54.97
talknerdy
Ok, so you get to use spanish all the time in Houston is the same as l a right? like there are a lot of spanish speakers. Yeah, that's great. That's so great that you get to sort of like carve out your own way. Be really authentic to yourself. Um.
10:58.34
Estefannie
Yeah, yeah, definitely there's a lot of Spanish speaking. Yeah.
11:10.90
talknerdy
Respect value and and celebrate your culture and your passions and utilize them kind of throughout your day. So so now I'm curious. Where do you find yourself? You know what is what is a normal day look like what is your kind of quote job if if you could call it that you know it's such a such a fun weird thing when you're sort of.
11:29.15
Estefannie
Yeah Wow. Um, every day is different now for me. But I think what I try to fall back into is that you know dream of trying to be this idea of what I thought an engineer or a scientist looked like.
11:29.16
talknerdy
Somebody who makes your own way.
11:46.14
talknerdy
E.
11:47.58
Estefannie
When I was little which is like oh that you know crazy inventor like Doc from back to the future or something like that and build whatever. But um I think that's the ideal day where I spend most of my time. Um. You know, designing an idea and then finding all the parts and trying to figure it out and failing miserably many many times until I get it right? I think that is a lot of my time but also now it's creating the content around it because I I create videos and and Instagram posts and that.
12:15.28
talknerdy
Right.
12:21.64
Estefannie
Does take a lot of time but I also like it because it makes me much I think it makes me a better engineer in a way because I have to better document everything and think about how would I explain this to a little kid if I had to and I think.
12:36.13
talknerdy
E.
12:40.52
Estefannie
It really makes me um, simplify the project and and my thoughts and ideas. So I think it's it's a very good I like that process so I would say um, ah right now it's probably 70% creating the videos and content and then just 30% the actual
12:58.81
talknerdy
Yeah, the building itself. So so I kind of want to go down both of those paths with you talk a little bit about the making and the building but also talk about the process of um of content creation and you know obviously we live in a capitalist society. We have to pay the rent and the bills and we've got to figure out a way.
12:59.70
Estefannie
Filled.
13:18.71
talknerdy
Make money doing the things that we love and I think it's really inspiring when I see especially a lot of younger people being able to figure out how to put food on the table doing what they love to do? So maybe we'll start there, you know I don't want to make assumptions like I think about my podcast and I think about the model around that.
13:31.51
Estefannie
Um, is it.
13:35.18
talknerdy
I've got a Patreon I sell ad space on my podcast and these are the ways that I get paid to be able to have fascinating conversations with fascinating people. Is it a similar model for you when you make videos or when you post behind the scenenes content on Instagram that you're working with. Different brands or are you relying more on crowd. Ah crowdfunding like how are you able to monetize the work that you do.
13:55.74
Estefannie
Um, yeah, it's I've been very lucky to to work with incredible brands. Um, and that's how I get sponsorship deals on Instagram or Youtube and um, but I also am very careful with ah.
14:03.85
talknerdy
E.
14:12.36
Estefannie
Not careful but I am very picky on who I work with because I think it has to be very organic and and I also believe in their mission or what they're doing. Um so I guess there's a lot of filtering that has to go through.
14:14.30
talknerdy
Right.
14:29.34
Estefannie
Um, but yeah, I've been very very lucky to to work with some incredible brands especially like the ones who are into you know, promoting women in stem women of color and stem. In fact, like well one of my favorite ones is ola because they are helping. Double the number of women and triple the number of women of color in stem by 2030 and I'm like yeah, that's exactly what I've been wanting to do actually might have 1 to segue into when I started computer science girls in college but it's exactly that i.
14:48.34
talknerdy
You know, very cool. Yeah.
15:02.40
Estefannie
I Noticed there's not enough people not enough women in stem and especially not women of color in stem and I was like how can I help how can I do this and it's been years of that and then they they found me and I found about their mission I was so excited to to work with them and I was like yes I want to help let us do this. So yeah.
15:18.46
talknerdy
Oh that's so great. That's so great to hear about that partnership and of course you know that is ah other than just doing the work that you do and inspiring young women and getting you know, getting them involved. You also do a lot of outreach right? You speak a lot at different. Um.
15:21.99
Estefannie
Yeah.
15:36.98
talknerdy
At Different organizations you work in like hackathons and maker fairs and you know different places where of course showing off all of your fun builds is a big part of it but but it does seem like ah part of your mission is to is to inspire other girls to maybe not think that they can't do this. But to to see that hey you could do this and look here's an here's an example of somebody doing this.
15:59.87
Estefannie
Yes, exactly right? Yes I think it all came from a place where I was thinking about in college. Oh who do I admire or who who do I want to be in the next few years or so and I really couldn't think of any woman.
16:17.63
talknerdy
And here.
16:18.46
Estefannie
Especially not any woman of color either. But like I was I It was a very like almost like an existential crisis moment I was like what is this life? Um, and and so I decided to you know, kind of like all right? Well what am I going to do about it.
16:26.35
talknerdy
Yeah.
16:36.92
Estefannie
What if what if I could if I could inspire one girl I'm good I changed one person's world and that's Great. Hopefully um so I started the computer Science Girls club at at ah my university to try to well that was also to try to keep them in computer science because I noticed that. A lot of my um female classmates would switch um over to biology or other sciences mainly because we had already taken a lot of science but it is of ah computer science is very. It's it's It's very.
17:03.13
talknerdy
E.
17:14.35
Estefannie
It's a very harsh environment for women and.
17:14.89
talknerdy
Oh yeah, it's sort of we we know the numbers in computer science are worse than any other stem field it it goes kind of in order from like ah the more behavioral sciences like psychology to biology to chemistry then maybe math or physics and certain physics are worse than others and then computer science is like dead last.
17:19.74
Estefannie
E yeah.
17:29.14
Estefannie
Um, yeah, yeah, all dudes who also are like not very nice to women or among themselves. Even they's just so competitive and so petty And so.
17:34.61
talknerdy
Like it's It's all dudes. Right? right? right.
17:47.58
Estefannie
Just your typical you know nerd of like well actually and you're like ah ah so I noticed I was going through that and then I noticed oh there's some other girls in my class where are they and then I would never see them again.
17:50.26
talknerdy
Who.
18:04.74
Estefannie
And then I found out they were doing biocam or something else and I talked to the the department and they had numbers. They told me yeah we started with about like 400 women who enroll but then by you know the sophomore year. It's only like 20% of them and then by graduation. It's only about.
18:23.10
talknerdy
Wow! What a bummer.
18:23.13
Estefannie
2 people who like two girls and I was like okay that yeah, that's it's not good. So I was like how what if what if there's a safe space. What? what? if I like to do I do I love to do parallel work I love to study with my friends. So what if I do a club where we can do that and it's. Cater to women. But if guys want to join they can. But it's a safe environment like that's the only thing that I want them for is like safe and and comfy environment. Um, and that worked out really well and after 1 year or like one semester of doing that. That's when I spoke to one of my advisors and.
18:45.95
talknerdy
Right.
19:01.75
Estefannie
Talked about well what? what is the actual issue. How can we get more women interested so that's when and we started doing a little bit more outreach to high schools and middle schools and taking a booth into like career fairs at the natural Science museum and things like that and that's when I I was like well I think I'm very passionate about this too.
19:19.80
talknerdy
Oh I love that and so you were you were the founder of computer science girls and since then I mean you're no longer in school is it safe to assume that the torch has been handed off to other incredible young women to kind of continue the cause.
19:21.50
Estefannie
Ah.
19:34.43
Estefannie
Yes, yes, and I'm very happy about that I honestly didn't know if it was going to still survive but it's still going strong since 2013 yeah
19:43.73
talknerdy
Oh that's amazing. So there's really some legacy there and something really to be able to look back on and be proud of do you ever work with them. Do you ever go back and like give talks or kind of meet meet up with them.
19:55.83
Estefannie
Yes, I have ah whenever if they want to and they invite me I definitely go and and you know do a workshop or a talk or something Yes, for sure if if they want to I don't want to be the one who's like always going back to school like oh hi guys. These were my prime years. You know.
20:04.43
talknerdy
Oh fun. Yeah, Ah yeah, yeah for sure. But you've had the opportunity to really travel all over the world kind of sharing your message and and showing off ah your builds and also talking about this. This experience What have been some of the most kind of um I don't know ah meaningful or impactful experiences that you've had.
20:31.13
Estefannie
Who I think there was one talk that I was invited to do in Ireland and this was probably the largest audience I've ever talked to and it was very scary but it was great and I think.
20:38.44
talknerdy
E.
20:48.80
Estefannie
Um, it was very meaningful because I had to work on it a lot when they told me that my my audience was going to be from 7 to 17 years old. Yes I was like how do i.
20:56.44
talknerdy
Oh Wow Young. Oh yeah, that's really different.
21:04.29
Estefannie
Get the seven year olds to pay attention while keeping the 7 2 year old you know, engaged so that was like the hardest one for me but also the most it was very fulfilling and I did sort of I did cater a little bit more towards the younger audience.
21:05.96
talknerdy
He he.
21:21.21
Estefannie
Because I think like I was like well you know if I want to impact I think I think the the older crowd they already know they already like engineering because they're here it was It was an event about building things. So I was like if they're already here I think they're already.
21:31.92
talknerdy
Okay.
21:36.28
Estefannie
Kind of like this so I can I can throw in a little bit of Youtube or Instagram which you know they like. But I think I'm gonna target the younger audience and it it paid off so I did I wasn't sure of course because when you're giving a talk. You're just you know doing you don't have no idea like what the reactions are there. There might be some laughter but.
21:53.73
talknerdy
Right? but.
21:53.93
Estefannie
Stage is so far away from them I don't know it was very scary but um, right afterwards though and this wasn't scheduled like I get offstage and then there was there was there was a line of kids wanting to take a picture with me and ask me questions and they brought their projects to show it to me and that like I almost cried I was like. Whoa This is amazing I I Yes, show me your project and I got to talk to each and one of them and it I think that's my favorite memory from all my talks.
22:20.46
talknerdy
So I Love that like I can imagine that that kind of feedback really makes this all worthwhile you had mentioned before if you could affect change in just one young girl. But ah. Safe to assume that you get letters or maybe I should say emails and messages and and a lot of kind of feedback and and also you know girls coming up to you after your talks. Yeah.
22:40.49
Estefannie
Yeah, well I think it was mainly that talk I don't I don't know if I don't get a lot of emails or letters really? um, they were very young too. They were like a 7 year old or they were with their dads usually yeah, very very cute with like.
22:44.25
talknerdy
E.
22:55.00
talknerdy
Cute. Yeah.
22:59.41
Estefannie
Little girls I think that was like what got me really excited. They all wanted to see my project or they wanted to show me their project and that to me was like whoa. This is so cool. This is like how excited I was about barbies when I was little but now this is about engineering which is even better and if I had known I'd probably also build like. This whole doll house with a functioning elevator for my barbie back then if I knew I could so yeah, yeah.
23:23.40
talknerdy
Oh heck, yeah yeah, that's awesome. So earlier when we were talking about sort of your process. You know we talked about some of the builds which we'll get to in a second and then we talked about how how it is that you've made this into a career what we didn't really talk about is um. Is crowdfunding have you found that that has been a part of your approach. Do you have like a Patreon. Do you kind of reach out to your audience get feedback from your audience and and help that guide any of your decisions.
23:50.20
Estefannie
Um, not yet I've been working towards building that Patreon page. Um, it's just been very tricky for me because ah I do have a very large audience of kids or you know younger audience and i.
23:54.75
talknerdy
He.
24:04.58
talknerdy
E.
24:09.94
Estefannie
I I wouldn't want them to miss out on anything because there's a like a monetary wall. Yes, so I do my video and and then I write a blog about it and I I make like this ah whole like.
24:15.23
talknerdy
Right? right? So you want to make sure everything is open access. Yeah.
24:29.24
Estefannie
List of how I built it and I share the code I share the schematics I share everything online for free. So that's where I'm like if I were to do a Patreon which is what I've been working on thinking about it would be but it would be something that they wouldn't miss out on.
24:45.18
talknerdy
Yeah.
24:46.55
Estefannie
Like no more content. They would miss out on it would may probably be like oh buy me a coffee kind of thing. Yeah, yeah.
24:50.25
talknerdy
Ah, no I feel you and and I'll tell you what I have ah I have similar concerns which is why my Patreon is very much like um each and every episode I always say this at the front of the show. So I'm sure my listeners are rolling their eyes right now because they're like you already said this once.
24:57.98
Estefannie
Yeah.
25:04.96
Estefannie
Yeah.
25:08.13
talknerdy
Each and every episode is and will always be 100% free to download and I just rely on the support of of my really incredible listeners so most of the people who support my show on Patreon literally just do it out of the goodness of their heart. They don't get anything extra for it I might have you know an ad free version of a download or something like that. But ultimately even before I offered that perk.
25:10.12
Estefannie
Boom.
25:18.20
Estefannie
Oh yeah.
25:27.79
talknerdy
Most of the people who support me on Patreon literally just do it because they want to support creators and I think it's so cool that there's a robust community of people out there who who do that knowing that they're contributing to something that they could get for free but in being able to support because they're in a financial position to do so they're off.
25:35.38
Estefannie
Is he.
25:45.25
talknerdy
Setting and they're allowing people who couldn't otherwise afford it to be able to consume it for free. Yeah, so there's options. Love it. Yeah, there's options. There's definitely options available which is great to hear So okay I Want to.
25:48.75
Estefannie
Yes, that's amazing. So yeah, we're on the same page I get too? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
26:01.11
talknerdy
Know about some of these builds I want to know what are some of the things that you first started doing how have they evolved and maybe maybe point us to some of your favorites over the years
26:03.15
Estefannie
Ooh.
26:08.18
Estefannie
Ah, it's usually the favorite ones are like oh usually the one I'm working on right now. Ah yeah, ah like ah yeah, so ah, oh where do I Where do I start? Um I think it all it all started.
26:12.45
talknerdy
Right? Yeah, the one that's in your mind. Yeah, ah.
26:27.33
Estefannie
With me making computer science tutorials online because I was actually studying for an interview with Google and I didn't feel like studying and I remember well the only way I know if I know something is if I can explain it to someone else and the scariest place on earth is the internet and. Because people are gonna correct me and so I'm gonna do it so I put my first ah tutorial on Youtube and I liked it and I was like oh I'm gonna do more so I can study. But then it was within a month or 2 when I decided to play with electronics. Ah for the first time I was like I want to make like a cool like robotic. Pumpkin for Halloween and then I was like oh and I can document and put it on Youtube I have a Youtube channel why not just put it there throw it in there and I loved it. I loved it so much that I no longer cared about my interviews and I decided to make more builds and then stay in the job that I was in.
27:15.19
talknerdy
E.
27:23.10
Estefannie
And just do that over the weekends build projects and put them and share them online and it's just been like it's been a lot of learning process for me of like what does it mean like is it just a build that I want to do or is it a build that. Audience is gonna like or like is it a trend. So I've gone through a lot of different stages of creating those builds for the content but I feel like right Now. It's more about yeah like what is the idea behind this build. For example.
27:47.69
talknerdy
N.
27:59.20
Estefannie
And the one that I'm not not I finished but now I'm just working on the video um is um, a bill that I did for my cats I have 2 cats and I love them very much and I'm a helicopter parent apparently because I yeah because I one of them is as an older cat. He's 11
28:11.12
talknerdy
If.
28:19.11
Estefannie
And the only way I knew if he was healthy or not is through his um um bowel movements. Yes, so exactly? Yeah, so it was like yeah and it was easy to track that when he was the only cat but then I adopted Luna. Ah.
28:23.41
talknerdy
Sure, Yeah, yeah, just like people of course. Ah.
28:38.24
Estefannie
Like a couple years after and I realized I was very happy that I was able to train them to. Well first of all that they became friends and then second that they could use the same litter box and once I got that done I was like oh no, how am I gonna know. When teddy bear is sick or not or Luna and now I don't know because there's 2 cats and double the amount of stuff in the litter box. Um so the project is it's extremely over engineered. But here's what I did I put a camera in i.
28:56.32
talknerdy
Um, yeah, yeah.
29:12.50
Estefannie
Build like a cup cupboard cupboard covered like a yeah like a little. Yeah okay yes, a little cup and I put the liter box in there and I made it so that I could mount a little infrared camera and a thermal camera and some infrared lights. It looks like little stadium lights.
29:14.40
talknerdy
Yeah, sure. Yeah yeah, a little cupboard.
29:31.74
Estefannie
But tiny and they're all infrared So the cats won't see it. They won't be bothered by it. But every time the cat any cat walks in the the camera takes a picture. Um and it's infrared So I don't have to have any lights on so infrared it just makes it like it's almost like night fish and and um.
29:34.40
talknerdy
M.
29:46.87
talknerdy
Um, yeah, yeah.
29:50.70
Estefannie
So it takes a picture and I have a computer right there a little small computer running a detection algorithm that I wrote basically it detects which cat is there at the moment and we using machine learning so the cat enters. We know whether it's Luna or Teddy and then based on the time i.
30:00.29
talknerdy
M.
30:08.15
Estefannie
I have way too much data on them right now and how long they takes them to Poo or pee. Yeah.
30:11.62
talknerdy
Ah, this is very useful somebody from some research lab somewhere is going to call you for that data because they're trying to develop some medical intervention for for cats who are constipated.
30:24.80
Estefannie
I Hope so because I have a lot of data is now. Um, but yeah I had to average out the times and see okay if its let's say I I think it was like a minute and a half if it's past the minute and a half then it's definitely poo and so.
30:27.78
talknerdy
Ah, yeah.
30:42.21
talknerdy
M.
30:43.80
Estefannie
Um, it's kind of an assumption but it it has been working Fine. So yeah, it takes a cat and then it detects whether it's peer poo and then why not while they're at it I take their temperature and I save all the data like okay so Teddy bear went to the bathroom at. Whatever time this day and he did Poo or pee and this was their temperature and so I save all of that and and and I can see it on my phone.
31:10.88
talknerdy
Yeah, that's interesting because of course oftentimes just big data is the is the first step to then developing patterns and seeing patterns in the noise and understanding. You know if you're if one of your cats has a very particular pattern and then.
31:15.96
Estefannie
This is.
31:24.98
Estefannie
Um.
31:27.87
talknerdy
Something happens and they're thrown off of their pattern. It could alert you to something going on with their health before other behavioral alerts are given to you I I love that. That's so cool and so okay, this is fun. This is what you're working on now or most recently worked on what about like.
31:35.24
Estefannie
Exactly Yes, so that's the whole idea cool.
31:47.43
talknerdy
For people who are listening who are thinking you know I want to make something but I don't know how to make stuff or do you have any sort of tutorials that can help somebody maybe get a taste for this maker. Um vibe. Ah that are maybe kind of new to it.
32:03.30
Estefannie
Yes I think it is it is it was an amb ambitionious ambitious project. But I think it's a great project to get started with all the makey skills and it was my Daafp punk helmet I made um and I did write like a whole step by step tutorial.
32:13.94
talknerdy
Um, okay.
32:22.86
Estefannie
Um, and I think that's a great that was the first the the project where I first ever three d printed and I and I learned how to it was like okay this project base I really want to ah want a helmet and I don't know how to three DPrint so I figured out like.
32:28.52
talknerdy
Oh cool.
32:39.90
Estefannie
Because I really wanted that helmet to three D print and I shared like all the Files everything? um and then I had to learn about sanding and water sanding and using different like car repair. Type of products to make it very smooth and clean and shiny and that's that's all the work that I did with my hands kind of thing like with 3 D printing and a lot of different materials and then and then the code and the leds I mean the code is online I put it all online. It should be as easy as downloaded. And put it on the same computer board that I use. Um I think most most of my projects should be ready to go and if if I wanted to get started I would do that and then then you have the code to play with and change it up a bit hey I only want pink lights you can do that or that kind of.
33:15.67
talknerdy
E.
33:27.58
talknerdy
Yeah.
33:29.28
Estefannie
And and I think that would be a fun. It's a fun project that then you are like Wow I can wear it and it's cool.
33:34.75
talknerdy
I Love that and so you know obviously coming from a more you know mathematical and then computer science sort of focused background of course a lot of these builds have both the the software and the hardware component to them was it hard for you to like learn how to make stuff with your hands when when coding was. Maybe maybe? ah and maybe I'm wrong, but sort of more your comfort zone.
33:57.10
Estefannie
Yeah I think I think making with my hands just it feels very natural to me I think I I like it. It's part of the process I think um I start with the making of the thing before I start programming because it actually helps me think.
34:02.70
talknerdy
M.
34:15.26
Estefannie
About how I'm going to program this Um, it's almost like a very like meditation for me. Um, there was also the time where and then this is a a very simple I think that okay maybe this is for like oh at home with ah your kids if you want to build something together. There's like a gingerbread house I mean.
34:15.89
talknerdy
Mm.
34:30.71
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
34:34.71
Estefannie
Like a smart gingerbread house and that was fun to just make the actual gingerbread house and then figure out like oh how am I gonna put the lights on like as if they were Christmas lights but they're just leds and like um make the gingerbread men dance around the gingerbread.
34:50.57
talknerdy
Ah.
34:53.27
Estefannie
Ball dance around the you know did house and and open and close the door and I think yeah, that's also another fun little project of seeing like how you can integrate um electronics or robotics and programming into something as like normal I guess.
35:10.38
talknerdy
Um, yeah, yeah, and so do you have any recommendations maybe for parents who are listening to the show who do have younger kiddos who are interested in getting involved in en coding and making like where they can start or you know any.
35:12.23
Estefannie
As a gingerbread house. Yeah.
35:27.94
talknerdy
Books or any like um products like do you like little bits or are there. You know are there different kind of areas where you think okay, if I were a mom and I was trying to like get my kid ready. This is what I would get them for christmas.
35:38.89
Estefannie
Yes, oh okay, um, there are books. Um, but I'm all for free stuff so online. Yes I think my favorite resource for kids and parents and for myself too because that's how I learned a lot. Um.
35:45.21
talknerdy
I Love it. Yeah.
35:52.77
talknerdy
M.
35:56.94
Estefannie
Ah, there's a mini computer brand that writes a lot of tutorials and fun projects like that for kids called Raspberry Pi Um, yeah, so that's I think that's where I would start Raspberry Pi has like really cool projects for little kids to get started.
36:03.81
talknerdy
Yeah.
36:14.74
Estefannie
Um, there's also instructibles. That's yeah I don't know if you're familiar with that website but it's like you know it's like ah people can upload their tutorials there about anything and like even braids how to braid your hair. Um, but then there's a lot of electronics projects and they have a category for it.
36:16.38
talknerdy
E.
36:34.17
Estefannie
Um, so yeah I think I would just go online and find those type of tutorials or resources.
36:38.67
talknerdy
For sure and how often do you use? Do you use Raspberry Pi in like your work now.
36:44.50
Estefannie
Um, well the actual computer most of the times the the the tutorials I guess um I might have already exhausted.
36:53.83
talknerdy
Right? right? but you actually use that you use the hardware in a lot of your projects.
36:57.83
Estefannie
Yeah I use the hardware a lot I mean it depends on the project. So that one is a mini computer like a fullblown computer and it makes it so easy to just like oh it already has wi-fi or it has um, it's an operating system. So it's easier to program for me because that's how I was trained but then there's microcontrollers.
37:05.77
talknerdy
Mm.
37:11.87
talknerdy
Right? right.
37:17.59
Estefannie
Where those are like those are not computers. There's like um think of it like I like to say this example like ah like a smart fridge and a smart fridge would have like the the screen on the front. Um with like I don't know like apps.
37:24.21
talknerdy
Okay.
37:33.21
Estefannie
Would like oh this is how much milk I have or you can tweet on it or something like that like an actual computer. It feels like um, but then the microcontrollers would be the you know the little chip that controls the temperature or the light on light off.
37:49.86
talknerdy
Right? It doesn't have to be able to do everything. It only has to be able to do what a refrigerator needs. Mm.
37:51.59
Estefannie
Maybe not that one but yet. Yeah yeah, like a very basic part that the yeah like just actual hardware needs to do so you don't need because the less amount of I think.
38:03.11
talknerdy
Right.
38:09.60
Estefannie
It's just so that it doesn't There's a lot less failure points. So if you have a thing that only controls a motor then you're good and you don't need any apps or software or anything else running um and and I'm not train in that. That's where I started playing with that that would be closer to more like electrical engineering which I am.
38:10.74
talknerdy
Right.
38:27.75
Estefannie
Really into right now. But um, yeah, yeah, so's I think I used a lot of that too. So it's more about I use Restry Pi or like mini computers as my comfort zone to get something done really quickly because I know how to use it. But then I love exploring more into like the electrical engineering word where I'm like oh how.
38:28.83
talknerdy
Awesome.
38:47.53
Estefannie
How can I make this dumber and not dumber as in like the project is dumb. But like there's not a smart computer involved.
38:51.70
talknerdy
Right? right? right? Yeah for sure for Sure. Oh I Love that Oh So so many good resources that you've offered and so much um that you've kind of shared about your your the depth and the breadth of the work that you do I'm curious kind of what what you see being on the horizon. Um, you know do you have any any overarching goals anything that you know you you kind of want to take on especially given that it's been.. It's been a hard couple of years right? The pandemic has really changed a lot of people's experiences and we're We're not.
39:18.82
Estefannie
Ah, yeah.
39:24.46
talknerdy
We're not done yet like we can't just decide that it's over and say that it's over but there are some changes sort of on the horizon and and and sort of some emerging experiences that we're having so kind of what's what's next for you.
39:35.63
Estefannie
I Think well for me is I'm just I I Just really want to keep trying and I just want to keep trying um to do this like more like the higher level view of this mission of like hey I.
39:41.25
talknerdy
M.
39:55.12
Estefannie
Can build cool stuff not because I'm a woman but in spite of it kind of thing like oh I'm just a person and I can maybe you look like me or maybe not but you know someone who looks like like it's just a little bit hopefully inspire people. Um and make it.
40:02.24
talknerdy
Yeah.
40:14.34
Estefannie
Seem like oh yeah, I keep all my mistakes on my ah my videos so that people know that it's okay to fail as well. There's part of a lot of failures to be able to build something but anyways I digress I think yeah I just want to keep trying and build fun stuff. That's like that's a cool part of my job like um. That's why I said like well it's maybe 30% building and everything else I think that everything else is for that mission of like showing the world hey we're here we exist. It's a thing. Yeah.
40:38.49
talknerdy
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, and I I love the point that you made about failure because it's It's so true. It's not even um, like like I think we could even go further to say you know it's It's not a bad thing to fail. No no, It's a good thing to you have to.
40:57.20
Estefannie
Yeah, yeah.
40:58.22
talknerdy
Fail that's how science and engineering works like if everything just always goes right? The first time either. You're probably not doing anything. That's all that interesting. You're definitely not solving new problems right? You're just kind of regurgitating what other people have already shown you how to do um and and yet how are you ever going to learn if you can't.
41:06.72
Estefannie
Yeah, yeah.
41:17.44
talknerdy
If you can't be present when something goes wrong to figure out how to then fix it.
41:22.33
Estefannie
Yes, exactly that's exactly right? So failure is so important including including my trying with Youtube and you know like even that it feels like a project. So yeah.
41:31.50
talknerdy
Right? Oh for sure I mean there's so many skills and talents that go into I think about when I first started podcasting and I had no idea what I was doing and I wasn't an audio engineer and.
41:43.42
Estefannie
Ah, yeah.
41:44.48
talknerdy
And I it's been so much I'm editing and I was like there have to be people who know how to do this more kind of efficiently and of course there are so once I could afford to pay them. That's what I did um but yeah, pretty much any creator realizes that they have to wear a lot of different hats. Um, not just kind of that that one skill that they have focused their career on. So.
41:52.36
Estefannie
Yeah. Yes.
42:03.75
talknerdy
That's good to hear that you that you you know you don't see an end in sight and that you want to keep pushing and keep pushing. So um I want to I want to ask then Stephanie I I always sort of towards the end of my episodes ask my guests the same 2 questions and I have.
42:08.70
Estefannie
Um, yeah.
42:19.67
talknerdy
Some young guests on before I've had like the winners of the Regeneron kind of science fair on the show and so very young like high school aged kids but most of my most of my guests are are probably older than you and so I'm I'm excited also about this kind of more youthful perspective. So.
42:23.89
Estefannie
Um, yeah.
42:37.80
talknerdy
Um, they're big picture questions. Are you ready for them all right here we go So when you think about the future in whatever context is relevant to you right now. So this could be very personal. It could be um, occupational. It could be societal.
42:38.46
Estefannie
Who? Okay, yes.
42:56.79
talknerdy
And and to that end it could be local or communal or you know global or even I don't know cosmic. So any any context there's no right answer number 1
43:03.17
Estefannie
Um, um, yeah.
43:10.64
talknerdy
What is the thing when you think about the future that keeps you up the most at night the thing you're most worried about maybe you've even developed some kind of pessimism or even cynicism and then on the flip side of that you know to end on ah on a more positive note where are you finding your your hope and your optimism lately. What are you looking forward to.
43:27.47
Estefannie
Wo that's for okay, ah ah.
43:30.60
talknerdy
Yeah, you take all the time you need and if if you need a big gap will just edit that gap out and it will make it sound like you went Oh my gosh I know the answer right now. Ah.
43:40.23
Estefannie
Ah, well I think I think I know it's like um yeah, it's it's scary. It's it's and yes, what I'm very I became very cynical about my industry.
43:56.20
talknerdy
M.
43:59.85
Estefannie
Like software engineering and it's it's scary I was in the industry for um, seven years and it it I learned I became very this this solution? Yes, um.
44:07.78
talknerdy
H.
44:14.50
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, disillusioned for sure.
44:19.42
Estefannie
Had this idea of like oh we can change the world and make the world a better place through software somehow. Ah, but and I was very excited about you know the cutting edge of new technologies well self-driving cars or self. You know this automation and machine learning and robotics Ai.
44:24.14
talknerdy
9
44:39.20
Estefannie
So excited about everything and it I Just it felt like when I was in that world I Realized how much of it wasn't done necessarily correct. Um technically ethically.
44:49.68
talknerdy
Here. Right? yeah.
44:57.95
Estefannie
Humane humanely. Ah so I think um, yeah, it was. It was a very harsh like reality hit when I I realized what was that What what that was about I think um, yeah I became very cynical about it and. And made me want to leave that world as Well. Um, but but then it's like this on the flip side. It's like the same weird drive that I got when I was like also very sad and thisillus about. The fact that in college you know women were leaving because yes it was very hard to be in that environment Very very hard. Um, and it was awful and I was scared and but I was like no I can do this. Let's let's prove them wrong and let's let's fight for our Spot. Let's take some space. And so I think that same whatever that is in my brain or in my heart or wherever that is is is pushing me to I Guess it's part of me trying to show like no it is cool I can show you there is hope I mean maybe.
46:04.74
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
46:07.73
Estefannie
Maybe I don't feel the hope but but I can show you that there's there could be hope so you feel the hope hopefully.
46:13.30
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, so sort of 2 sides of the same coin there. The the institutional barriers and and maybe just some of the complacency that has taken place because it's always been the same voices in the room. Always the same individuals making the decisions. Um, you know as much as that is is you know causes that disillusion. It also makes you want to go no hell no I'm not going to stand for this I'm going to affect change.
46:38.58
Estefannie
Um, exactly that's exactly it I Yeah so I we need we need more more bus out there more women. Yeah yeah.
46:49.23
talknerdy
Here here. Sister I completely agree well Stephanie before we go I'm wondering. Is there anything that um that you were hoping to be able to chat about anything that we didn't really cover through through this time that we spent together today that that you want to make sure that we mention.
47:03.83
Estefannie
Um, I'm not sure I think I think um I did mention a little bit about um, my favorite brand that I'm working with I'm not sure if I should speak more about it or if.
47:17.10
talknerdy
E.
47:23.50
Estefannie
Um, because I think um I think the segue I wanted to get into with that like yeah, we need more more of us out there. That's why like I really really like ah you know that Mission Olace mission of like having more women by 2030 like that.
47:37.26
talknerdy
Yeah.
47:39.36
Estefannie
I agree with them I Want to be part of it I let's let's do this? yeah.
47:42.91
talknerdy
So tell me a little bit more about that like how how can individuals who are listening who who feel the same way you do? How can they get involved. What can they do.
47:52.18
Estefannie
Ah I think um well I think definitely supporting supporting the the people and the brands that are working towards these kind of missions of bringing more women to stem then I think that's a good.
48:06.41
talknerdy
Who.
48:12.10
Estefannie
Deb I think um, spreading the word is good too. Um I think as long as we know that we're out there and we exist that will help that mission I think the more we expose little girls out there or teenagers out there that. You know it's cool to be a scientist that you could be like you know a chemist and make cool like ah you know facial products or you could be a computer scientists and also like do machine learning about you know any kind of data or like robotics or ai I think it's just exposure I don't think there's enough exposure. Still in like pop culture specifically like I know we're trying like on our platforms. Um, but like I wish I don't ah just spreading the word I think yeah people need. Yeah.
48:54.93
talknerdy
Right? right. Yeah, yeah, kind of getting that mainstream exposure for sure like in in just Tv shows on streaming platforms on the places where people consume information. But the good news is more and more people are consuming on social media and on these different platforms like Youtube and podcasts and so um.
49:10.14
Estefannie
Yeah.
49:17.97
talknerdy
There is that sort of younger generation where where they're like what is a television show. Yeah.
49:20.38
Estefannie
Oh yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, where they're like oh a Tv show. Is it going to be on Netflix and you're like oh yeah, you're right? yeah.
49:27.27
talknerdy
Yeah it's so true. Yeah, oh well, gosh. Um, so so tell tell everybody listening than a Stephanie how can they learn more about your work where can they follow you on maybe social media or on the web and kind of. And and Youtube and and learn more about you.
49:44.66
Estefannie
Yes, um I think ah well, it's just my name. It's spelled weird. So I I took advantage of that because I'm the only well I feel like I'm the only ah Stephanie out there I'm not but feel like that's spelling specifically. So it's just my name ah at a Stephanie.
49:50.73
talknerdy
E.
50:02.84
Estefannie
Oh g g on Instagram at stephanie g g or just as Stephanie Google it you can find my Youtube my blog. My blog is a http://stephanie.com um and that's the blog where I write all my tutorials and I share all the code. Ah yeah, so it's just my name a Stephanie. Yeah.
50:16.63
talknerdy
Awesome! And of course this content is is kind of friendly for for folks our age and older but also for younger kids too right.
50:24.40
Estefannie
Yes, everything is family friendly. Yes, Yes, yeah, thank you? Well thank you so much. Thank you same likewise I Love this. Thank you so much.
50:28.70
talknerdy
Love it. Love it all right? Everyone go check that out. Well Stephanie thank you so much for spending time with me today. It was it was a real joy.
50:39.25
talknerdy
Absolutely and everyone listening. Thank you for coming back week after week I'm really looking forward to the next time we all get together to talk nerdy.
