Outside of the Box

Talking with EXPLR Media Founder Jenny Buccos about the National STEM Festival on Outside of the Box

I had the pleasure of being joined by the amazing Jenny Buccos with EXPLR Media who has been running the National STEM Festival going on its second year. We talked about the surprising and exciting amount of kids whose projects centered on using AI tech for good to help people, what kids attending the festival get to experience while there and the importance of kids having mentors to help get them more engaged. You can watch the livestream of the National STEM Festival on March 22nd. Check out the cool things these kids are doing at nationalstemfestival.com and EXPLR's amazing content and initiatives at explr.com.

National STEM Champion Bryan Hijam Talks About Prostate Cancer Research

Check out another STEM Spotlight and this time Christine talks to Bryan Hijam whose project focuses on prostate cancer research for better treatment and management of this disease that impacts so many. Hear him talk about his passion for this area of research, his plans for future career paths and what he is looking forward to when attending the National STEM Festival.
You can check out more info about the festival at https://www.nationalstemfestival.com/

NHRL Round 2 (March) Preview on Outside of the Box

It feels like we just wrapped up Round 1 of NHRL and we are already so close to Round 2 of more exciting robot fights!
Join Christine as she talks to a number of builders about their plans and predictions for March's loaded event. We talk to Zech Matthews about the hype surrounding his beetleweight Fragment X, chat with Peter and Destiny Garnache about their respective robots and getting to attend an event together again, and lastly we break down all of the weight classes with Tyler, Ian, Kekoto, Mark, Will and Nik including strong thoughts on the beetleweight class coming down to a possible victory by Knuckle Sandwich/Repeater or Eruption builder Brian Boxell. Lots of exciting stuff!

NHRL Round 1 (February) Recap on Outside of the Box

It is Monday and that means it is time for a new episode featuring three NHRL builders who all had amazing runs deep into the bracket at the Round 1 NHRL event. I chatted with Alex from Pinevictus about the win against Coldsnap that surprised even him, Zack Knight talked about having to face friends and teammates in the bracket and Justin of Undertaker talked about his amazing path to the finals against powerhouse Chonkiv.

National STEM Champion Jerry Yao Talks About Developing Assistive Tech

We are back with another STEM Spotlight and this time Christine talks to National STEM Champion Jerry Yao about the tactile tech he has developed to help those with sight impairments to "see" art. The discussion highlights the importance of using technology to help people as well as dives into other potential applications for this type of technology. Please check out https://www.nationalstemfestival.com/ for more information on the Festival and how you can get involved!

Talking Turnabot with the Siegel Family on Outside of the Box

This episode is all about family as I chatted with the Siegels who run Turnabot out of Georgia. They have created a company that gets people into combat robotics at an affordable price point and has been an amazing resource within the community. The family talks about what they have accomplished so far as well as things to come. Check out turnabot.com for more information!

National STEM Champion Ashrita Gandhari Talks About Using AI to Improve IVF

It is almost once again time for the National STEM Festival and on this episode I talked to Ashrita Gandhari, a high school senior, who developed an AI that helps determine embryonic health during the IVF process. She talks about her passion for the OBGYN field and her process for researching her project and proving her hypothesis. Please check out https://www.nationalstemfestival.com/ for more information on the Festival and how you can get involved!

Fantasy Robot League with the Hunter Brothers on Outside of the Box

If you are like me and have been into fantasy sports at some point in your life, you may have been craving a league for combat robotics. Well, the Hunter Brothers have started a league for NHRL robots that starts with the upcoming February event. Hear all about how they came up with the league and how you can follow along with the season. Check out Havoc Rundown's Discord for more info! https://discord.gg/hgwHd2Ju

NHRL Round 1 Preview on Outside of the Box

We're back to preview the first round of NHRL competition in 2025! I gathered a great collection of competitors representing every weight class with Anthony, Nelson, Paul & Craig to chat about their preparation for this event, who they'd love to face and which robots they might want to avoid. Check it out and get ready to see robots fight on February 1st!

2024 Boxy Award Winners and Year End Wrap-Up

Join myself and Ashley for the final OOTB episode of 2024 as we talk about all of the amazing Boxy winners including out super special secret categories that we had not announced publicly! We also talk about the year as a whole including amazing growth in the combat robotics community and also the amazing antweight kit giveaway when I hit 1000 subscribers on YouTube! Check it out!