Unconventional Engineering Episode 20 - “From Super Soaker to Energy Solutions” with Dr. Lonnie Johnson

ASME's Unconventional Engineering

Dr. Lonnie Johnson is an inventor with over 100 patents to his name, most notably, the Super Soaker® water gun, he is the President and Founder of Johnson Research and Development, as well as its’ affiliates Johnson Energy Storage and JTEC Energy. 00:09 Welcome to the show with Tom Costabile and Jay Flores 00:21 Guest introduction - Dr. Lonnie Johnson 1:10 Lonnie describes how he discovered a passion for engineering and inventing things during his childhood 2:11 Discussion about what can be done to support the future of engineering, in particular by encouraging the youth of today to explore STEM-related activities 5:37 Lonnie describes the different roles he's held over the years including his time at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in the U.S. Air Force, as well as NASA 13:54 "Innovation Station" - the backstory of how Dr. Johnson invented the Super Soaker, as well as his efforts in developing solid state batteries 19:41 Lonnie describes what motivates him to stay in the lab and reflects on some of his favorite inventions 24:07 Discussion about the future of engineering 29:09 Lonnie describes his interests, both in and out of the lab 33:20 Thank yous and goodbyes