August 30, 2024 • 20 mins
It's time to play a new game Martha created called 'STEM's The Breaks!' In this episode, we are joined by Ahmed Muhammad, an Oakland Tech grad who founded Kits Cubed. A non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA, that introduces youth to the wonders of science through fun!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
When the on air Mike goes off, the.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Talk talk begins. It's Talk Talk with Martha Quinn. She
blinded me with science, science, sciences, science, weird science science.
She's a live, She's.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
A lit live.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Is Kelly Brock?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I know we have a special guest coming for our
podcast today. Is Kelly LeBrock going to be here?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Uh? No, someone better?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
You're right, Karina of Alaskaz. It is somebody better we
have with us today for podcast number two hundred and
eleven of Talk Talk with Marth Quinn, the podcast that
unites me Marth Quinn with Karina of Alaskaz and Christy James.
This is when we sit around we chat life. We
invite you to join us. Karina sent me an article
about a kid here in the Bay Area saying, hey,
(00:46):
this kid is a rock star kid. And it was
about this kid, Ahmed Mohammed, who graduated Oakland Tech in
twenty twenty one. He's the class valedictorian. He's now getting
his mechanical engineering degree at Stanford, and he is also
giving back in a major way. He created his own
nonprofit designed to get kids excited about science. It's called
(01:08):
kits Cubed, which you can see in action at Oakland
Tech's upcoming Stemfair September fourteenth. So please welcome to our podcast,
Ahmed Mohammed, So Ahmed. We're going to start our podcast
with a little game show created by your friend Martha Quinn.
Here it's called Stems the Breaks. Okay, So you're going
(01:36):
to play with Christine Karina. Each contestant will get a question.
You can answer it on your own, or you can
use one of the other contestants as a lifeline. If
you call a contestant lifeline, you both get a point.
The contestant with the most points at the end is
going to be our Stems the Breaks Champion.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
His name Where where did the name come from? Stems
the Breaks?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Uh? Stems the Breaks is a Marth Quinn original. Christy,
thank you for asking. And I do think we're wanting
something here. Okay, So Stems the Breaks is starting now, Karina. Yes,
a coin toss is an example of what mathematical theory,
you can call a contestant lifeline.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
If you need to.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Oh gosh, I'm going straight for the lifeline because.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Which contestant would you like to call? Karina Phileesci going.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
With amed Hello, can you repeat it?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yes? I can.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
A coin toss is an example of what mathematical theory.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
I'm going to go with an independent event?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Oh so close if you're oh yo, okay, okay, Christy's
going this is unexpected.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
The judge did not expect this.
Speaker 6 (02:56):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Christ part of the rules if you can steal a
question if they get.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
It wrong, let's do it. Let's steal a question.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Is it the theory of probability?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Christy James, American high School.
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Independent event is like under that umbrella.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Okay, well, we're gonna move on. Christy has come in
from the outside, grabbed a point. Okay, Christy. If you
if I saw you buying some nails, some wire, and
a potato, I might think you were making h Christy,
you can call a lifeline if you need to, or
(03:41):
make a guess.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
A nails, wire and a potato. When you said nails,
I was like, ooh, my crylic nails.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Like my nails, hammering nails.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
But I think we actually did this in school. See kids,
it pays to pay attention in science class. I believe
I would be making a battery or conductor.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Christie Jens is stealing the game.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
You know why because there's teachers like Amed in the world.
Speaker 6 (04:11):
We actually have a potato battery experiment with k Cube.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
That's one of the things we do all the time
with the kids.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Ahmed inside scoop, That's where Marth Quinn got that questions MC.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
All right, then all right, Ahmed from Kit's Cubed.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I believe he's up.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Ahmed, here you go.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
You will be at Oakland Tech September fourteenth with your
nonprofit kits Cubed for the kits Cubed Stemfair.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Here is your question. You can use a.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Lifeline, but if you use your own deductive reasoning, you
can get the point all to yourself. Okay, are you ready, Ahmed? Yes,
Pointer Sisters, graduates of Oakland Tech had a hit in
nineteen eighty five called I Love Parabolas. My boy friend
is a semi Conductor or see Neutron Dance.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Let's go over Again was the hit song.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
But I don't think it's I like it.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
The second one, the second one is my boyfriend is
a semi Conductor.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
Eighty five.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, then the last one, Neutron Dance.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
I'm gonna go with neutron dance.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
We have a winner of stems the breaks. Karina of
Alaskaz came in at zero.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
I want I want to challenge the pro the coin
flip one.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I want to challenge that.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I love you.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
I love you right now because if you want to challenge,
I can present a tie breaker. So go ahead, present
to the judge your challenge.
Speaker 6 (05:58):
Okay, So yes, like a coin flip, and like the
probability at heads and tails that is like under like
the branch of probability, but a coin flip can also
like I've done a lot of like classes where we
talk about coin flips in terms of probability and more
specifically like how they're independent events.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
For example, if I flip a.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Coin once and get heads, that doesn't change the probability
of getting heads or tails the next time I flip it,
or the next time I flipped it, or the next
time I flipped it. So like, it's an independent event
and it's which is under like the umbrella of probability.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It's under the umbrella.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
However, the question asked was what is the theory involved,
not the particular thing, because you could say, hey, it's
a game of chance, and that's correct well, but it
doesn't get.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
The right answer, Judge, and I am going to say,
Ahmed has an excellent point. Here is a question for
Ahmed that is going to be worth two points. If
you get it, Ahmed, you be or stems the brakes
champion Ahmed. The X axis on a graph goes side
(07:08):
to side or up and down. If you get this
question without a lifeline, you can't ask for a lifeline
because if you ask for a lifeline, you only get
one point. If you get it on your own, you
get two points, and you will be that stems the breaks.
The X axis goes side to side or up and down.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
X axis that's my horizontal friend goes side to side.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
I knew that, Christy.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
He was the valedictorian okay of Oakland Tech class of
twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
We have to give it.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Besides, he's our guest, Christy. That was fun and may
I give you props?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Amed.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
This is why you're going to get ahead in life
because you spoke up for yourself.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was a good fight. Is counting because Christy was
not giving up either. I like it.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
That was the theory of independent events. What was it
independent events. Some independent event's going on here. So, Ahmed,
you will be at Oakland Tech September fourteenth with your
nonprofit kits Cubed for the Kids Cubed Stemfair.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
What's going to go on there?
Speaker 6 (08:30):
Yeah, So the stem Fair is an annual celebration that
we do with Kids Cube to bring together the whole
community around science. And so we're going to be partnering
with over twenty five amazing partner organizations who are going
to be presenting their science activities and boots for example
like the Shabo Space and Science Centers, the Lawrence Halli
(08:50):
Science Community Resources or Science are going to have these
amazing interactive demonstrations and you can come and build.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
A rocket, build a robot, do all.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Sorts of chemistry and physics and astronomy. And also Kid's
Cube we're going to be donating over a thousand science
kids to the students that come and so with us,
you can make a solar car, you can make up battery,
actually potato battery. I'm not going to give it all away,
but pretty much the kids are going to come out,
they're going to get to build a lot of things.
They're going to get to discover science and have a
(09:21):
good time while doing so.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Ahmed, what I noticed about you is you are not
only a mechanical engineering a major at Stanford Hello, but
you're also an entrepreneur. If kids say to you, why
do we need to care about science?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
What do you say when kids.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Ask me why should I care about science or why
is it important? My answer is because science is one
of the very important languages of the world. And so
to understand science means to be able to understand yourself,
understand the community around you, and also the technologies that
are being developed that have a direct impact on your life.
(09:58):
And so to understand science and to be a scientist
means to be able to take more agency of your
life and the sciences and technologies that you interact with
on a daily basis, and to be able also to
contribute to a future that you want instead of a
future that you accept.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Oh snap, that's good.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Really, to be able to contribute to a future you
want instead of a future you accept.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Aman, I'm curious, how can the community help kids cubed out?
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Well, you don't show up to the STEM fair September fourteen,
and as far as like helping out with kids Cube,
we have a lot of opportunities for volunteering to go
and help us teach, help us assemble our science kids,
create new science kids, and because we create science kids,
but we also do a lot.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
Of in person programming as well.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
So we'll go into open schools and we'll run workshops,
we'll host large events like the STEM Fair, We'll do
summer camps and after school programs, and so there's really
a whole host of ways for folks to help out,
and we don't turn anyone away. We look to see
what people are passionate about what they're good at and find.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
A spot for them.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Speaking of what you're good at, So I suck in math,
and if there's kids who are like, oh man, I
hate math. Math sucks. But STEM is so much more
than that. It's science, technology, engineering, and math. But if
you're not good in math, what paths can you go down?
Because what if you're not like valedictorian but this is
something that you want to do. Are there other ways
(11:26):
that kids can get involved in STEM? And what other
occupations involve STEM for work in the future.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 6 (11:36):
Well, one what I will say is I am a
firm believer that no one is bad at math. I
think folks who are who consider themselves bad at math
just did not have the proper introduction to it, or
the proper teachers are instructions who could draw on their strength.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
And deliver the material to them in a way that's
that suits them personally.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
So if you think you're bad at math, you're not
bad at math might be a different each you can
come over to the kids cue well, it will help
you out with that. And as far as occupations that
don't require math, honestly, I'm still learning about occupations myself,
Like I'm starting trying to go to career fairs and
figuring out what I'm.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Going to do after graduation. So I can't answer that one.
I know. I'm doing an internship right now with PGENI.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
I'm really loving it and I'm I'm being able to
work a lot with members of the team and like
the different technicians and they get to go out into
the field and collect really important data like that has
to do with science and like voltages and corrosions specifically,
and they get to go out and collect really cool
data that the engineers then analyze make informed decisions about,
(12:40):
like do we need to replace this thing or do
we need to maintain this And so that's something that
I've noticed over the summer, and so there are definitely ways,
but I am not an expert.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
You know, everyone who I know who works with loves it.
So it's good that you're in there because that's a
good job.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
It's dope place. I really like it.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Everyone likes it, and it's really really diverse in every
single way. And I have a lot of friends who
work there, So it's good that you're in and you're
getting to learn. And yeah, maybe if I would have
had teachers like you, I probably.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Would have been better in math.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
But instead, you know, I'm doing this which I love.
And if you could be doing anything else that you
love in STEM, what do you think it would be.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
I think it would be. Well one about PG and E.
Like Carla Peterman, Patty.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Poppy, they've been doing such an amazing job over there,
and like my team has been awesome, like Jason and Patrick,
They've really taken me under their wings.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
So I have really been loving it over there. I
just have to say. And as far as what I.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
Would do if I wasn't like an engineer, I would
be a teacher. I think I'd be like a math
teacher or science teacher.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
I think it's really fun. I don't know what grade
level though.
Speaker 6 (13:45):
I really enjoy working with elementary schoolers just because it's
just so like right and excited, and it's like they'll
mess up and like not care, and it's just it's
a different vibe versus like middle schoolers in high schools.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
You know, you're a little older now, but.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
I would say teacher I would either want to do
probably elementary school or high school.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Is there a teacher I thank you, Christy. I was
gonna ask the same thing.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Is there a teacher that really stands out to you
or that impacted you in such a big way for
how you turned out?
Speaker 6 (14:13):
Yeah, a lot of teachers like this could turn into
a very long list. I think of mister de Marinus.
He was my physics teacher at Open Tech. He that
was like my first ever physics class my sophomore year,
and I absolutely loved it. Like I ended up like
applying to college as like a physics major, and it's
very closely related to mechanical engineering.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
So definitely mister d.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
Back in third grade, actually, I did this summer camp
at MLKA Junior Elementary school and someone who honestly is
like my age right now. His name was Kachi Katchi
to we see, I actually haven't been able to get
in contact with Kachi, but he taught me how to
build a bunch of engineering things back in the day,
like when I was like in third grade, and that
really stuck with me honestly to this day.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Just like how you would like to get back in
touch with Kachi. Have kids gotten back in touch with
It's you?
Speaker 6 (15:00):
Yeah, actually, so it's really nice, Like we'll work with
schools or sometimes we'll get a bunch of letters after
we go to schools and kids will be like, oh
my gosh, thank you for coming. We didn't know that
science could be so fun, or oh, I want to
be a scientist now because of like the kids that
you showed us, or like what you taught us, And
that's really fulfilling it And then it encouraged us to
(15:20):
keep going because we see that the kids are responding
positively to our material, to our instructors. So yeah, I
have like hundreds of like letters and drawings and stuff
from students we've worked with, and I keep.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
All of them.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
That's amazing. And then it's It's interesting that you said
science could be fun. That's what I was getting at
when I asked about the jobs, because people think, oh, science, scientists, engineer,
I'm in a lab or I'm you know, in front
of the computer all day. Oh really when it comes
to science with that protractor, Yeah, no, you know, it
could be anything. It'd be working with PG and E,
(15:54):
creating new technology, ev cars, video games that takes different
types of you know, technology to put together. So it
really can be fun.
Speaker 6 (16:04):
Yeah, And honestly, like, I'm glad you mentioned that, because
now that I think about it a little.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
More, you can do anything with science. Like my nephew
and my cousins are going to go off and be
like video game designers. That's science. Like you can go
out and design video games.
Speaker 6 (16:17):
You can build planes, you could build the next robot
to help with doctors and assistive surgery. If you want
to be inside, you want to be outside, if you
want to be on Earth or out in space or
underground or whatever, in a cave or like diving and
looking at coral reefs. Science can take you around the world,
and it can take you anywhere in the world.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
So I would say there's definitely a spot for you
in the field.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Do kids have to go to Oakland Tech to go
to the Stemfair September fourteenth?
Speaker 6 (16:46):
No, no, no, no, So actually the stem Fair is
geared for like elementary schoolers. It just happens to be
at open Tech because you know, I went to oplan
Tech and it's a nice location.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
It's like a nice central location, and so shout out
Oaklan Tech. The stem Fair is actually geared to like.
Speaker 6 (16:59):
Elementary school and like early middle schoolers, and you don't
have to be from like the surrounding area. Like it's
for everybody. If the whole world could show up, I
would want the whole world there.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And it's my birthday, so come through your birthday.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
It is, so can.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
You virgo seventeen.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
From there? My mama's birthday.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Virgos are amazing, very smart. Well, thank you so much, Ahmed.
How can people find more information out about Kit's Cube
and the event and other events in the future.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
I would say just go to our website www dot
kits k I T S cubed c U b ed
dot com. They'll you'll have all of our information of
our current and upcoming events as well as past events.
You can also follow us on Instagram at Kit's Cube.
It's kit like a science kits because some people confuse
it with kid, but kits cubed and you'll find all
(17:55):
the information there and we're really responsive. So you can
email us, send us a message. I'll either see it
or my amazing team members will and we'll make sure
to respond.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
When are you graduating Stanford?
Speaker 6 (18:06):
I'm about to be a senior, so I'll graduate in
June twenty five. I'm going to be applying for master's programs,
so we'll see where I land. Hopefully I'm I'm fortunate
enough to land somewhere. I'll be finishing up my undergrad
this school year and then going on looking to grad school.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
We're excited to see what you do on ed.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Thank you so much for joining the podcast and being
part of our Shenanigans.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Thank you, thank you for inviting me for entertaining my challenge.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Congratulations on getting our stems the Breaks Champion.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Am I gonna put that on your resume?
Speaker 4 (18:40):
I hope I see that on kitscubed dot com.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
I'm going to be bragging.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
The breaks, Okay, I'll Mad Mohammed, thank you so much. O.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Hey, you'll have a good one too.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Bye bye, all right bye.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
I'm mad Mohammed everyone.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
So that is a rock star kid right there. Oh yeah,
so cool.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
That was so neat to talk to him and Christy
coming through some science knowledge right there. Karina, what song
were you dying to bust out?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (19:17):
She blinded me with science.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I wish that you did. I wish that you just
burst out of that.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Okay, Well, that was a super fun episode of Talk
Talk with Martha Quinn. That was podcast number two hundred
and eleven. If you had a teacher who inspired you
to go down some kind of road science, math art,
shout them out.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Tap the talkback microphone. You'll see it right now.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
If you're listening to this podcast on our free iHeartRadio
app shout out the teacher who influenced you. Everyday's teacher
appreciation Day around here. Okay until podcast number two hundred
and twelve of Talk Talk with Marth Quinn.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I'm Marth Quinn, I'm Christie.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
I'm Kreeen of Alaska.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Monsieur Retti
When the on air Mike goes off, the.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Talk talk begins. It's Talk Talk with Martha Quinn. She
blinded me with science, science, sciences, science, weird science science.
She's a live, She's.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
A lit live.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Is Kelly Brock?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I know we have a special guest coming for our
podcast today. Is Kelly LeBrock going to be here?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Uh? No, someone better?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
You're right, Karina of Alaskaz. It is somebody better we
have with us today for podcast number two hundred and
eleven of Talk Talk with Marth Quinn, the podcast that
unites me Marth Quinn with Karina of Alaskaz and Christy James.
This is when we sit around we chat life. We
invite you to join us. Karina sent me an article
about a kid here in the Bay Area saying, hey,
(00:46):
this kid is a rock star kid. And it was
about this kid, Ahmed Mohammed, who graduated Oakland Tech in
twenty twenty one. He's the class valedictorian. He's now getting
his mechanical engineering degree at Stanford, and he is also
giving back in a major way. He created his own
nonprofit designed to get kids excited about science. It's called
(01:08):
kits Cubed, which you can see in action at Oakland
Tech's upcoming Stemfair September fourteenth. So please welcome to our podcast,
Ahmed Mohammed, So Ahmed. We're going to start our podcast
with a little game show created by your friend Martha Quinn.
Here it's called Stems the Breaks. Okay, So you're going
(01:36):
to play with Christine Karina. Each contestant will get a question.
You can answer it on your own, or you can
use one of the other contestants as a lifeline. If
you call a contestant lifeline, you both get a point.
The contestant with the most points at the end is
going to be our Stems the Breaks Champion.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
His name Where where did the name come from? Stems
the Breaks?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Uh? Stems the Breaks is a Marth Quinn original. Christy,
thank you for asking. And I do think we're wanting
something here. Okay, So Stems the Breaks is starting now, Karina. Yes,
a coin toss is an example of what mathematical theory,
you can call a contestant lifeline.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
If you need to.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Oh gosh, I'm going straight for the lifeline because.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Which contestant would you like to call? Karina Phileesci going.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
With amed Hello, can you repeat it?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yes? I can.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
A coin toss is an example of what mathematical theory.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
I'm going to go with an independent event?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Oh so close if you're oh yo, okay, okay, Christy's
going this is unexpected.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
The judge did not expect this.
Speaker 6 (02:56):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Christ part of the rules if you can steal a
question if they get.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
It wrong, let's do it. Let's steal a question.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Is it the theory of probability?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Christy James, American high School.
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Independent event is like under that umbrella.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Okay, well, we're gonna move on. Christy has come in
from the outside, grabbed a point. Okay, Christy. If you
if I saw you buying some nails, some wire, and
a potato, I might think you were making h Christy,
you can call a lifeline if you need to, or
(03:41):
make a guess.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
A nails, wire and a potato. When you said nails,
I was like, ooh, my crylic nails.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Like my nails, hammering nails.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
But I think we actually did this in school. See kids,
it pays to pay attention in science class. I believe
I would be making a battery or conductor.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Christie Jens is stealing the game.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
You know why because there's teachers like Amed in the world.
Speaker 6 (04:11):
We actually have a potato battery experiment with k Cube.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
That's one of the things we do all the time
with the kids.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Ahmed inside scoop, That's where Marth Quinn got that questions MC.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
All right, then all right, Ahmed from Kit's Cubed.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I believe he's up.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Ahmed, here you go.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
You will be at Oakland Tech September fourteenth with your
nonprofit kits Cubed for the kits Cubed Stemfair.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Here is your question. You can use a.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Lifeline, but if you use your own deductive reasoning, you
can get the point all to yourself. Okay, are you ready, Ahmed? Yes,
Pointer Sisters, graduates of Oakland Tech had a hit in
nineteen eighty five called I Love Parabolas. My boy friend
is a semi Conductor or see Neutron Dance.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Let's go over Again was the hit song.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
But I don't think it's I like it.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
The second one, the second one is my boyfriend is
a semi Conductor.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
Eighty five.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, then the last one, Neutron Dance.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
I'm gonna go with neutron dance.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
We have a winner of stems the breaks. Karina of
Alaskaz came in at zero.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
I want I want to challenge the pro the coin
flip one.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I want to challenge that.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I love you.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
I love you right now because if you want to challenge,
I can present a tie breaker. So go ahead, present
to the judge your challenge.
Speaker 6 (05:58):
Okay, So yes, like a coin flip, and like the
probability at heads and tails that is like under like
the branch of probability, but a coin flip can also
like I've done a lot of like classes where we
talk about coin flips in terms of probability and more
specifically like how they're independent events.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
For example, if I flip a.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Coin once and get heads, that doesn't change the probability
of getting heads or tails the next time I flip it,
or the next time I flipped it, or the next
time I flipped it. So like, it's an independent event
and it's which is under like the umbrella of probability.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It's under the umbrella.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
However, the question asked was what is the theory involved,
not the particular thing, because you could say, hey, it's
a game of chance, and that's correct well, but it
doesn't get.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
The right answer, Judge, and I am going to say,
Ahmed has an excellent point. Here is a question for
Ahmed that is going to be worth two points. If
you get it, Ahmed, you be or stems the brakes
champion Ahmed. The X axis on a graph goes side
(07:08):
to side or up and down. If you get this
question without a lifeline, you can't ask for a lifeline
because if you ask for a lifeline, you only get
one point. If you get it on your own, you
get two points, and you will be that stems the breaks.
The X axis goes side to side or up and down.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
X axis that's my horizontal friend goes side to side.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
I knew that, Christy.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
He was the valedictorian okay of Oakland Tech class of
twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
We have to give it.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Besides, he's our guest, Christy. That was fun and may
I give you props?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Amed.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
This is why you're going to get ahead in life
because you spoke up for yourself.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was a good fight. Is counting because Christy was
not giving up either. I like it.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
That was the theory of independent events. What was it
independent events. Some independent event's going on here. So, Ahmed,
you will be at Oakland Tech September fourteenth with your
nonprofit kits Cubed for the Kids Cubed Stemfair.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
What's going to go on there?
Speaker 6 (08:30):
Yeah, So the stem Fair is an annual celebration that
we do with Kids Cube to bring together the whole
community around science. And so we're going to be partnering
with over twenty five amazing partner organizations who are going
to be presenting their science activities and boots for example
like the Shabo Space and Science Centers, the Lawrence Halli
(08:50):
Science Community Resources or Science are going to have these
amazing interactive demonstrations and you can come and build.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
A rocket, build a robot, do all.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Sorts of chemistry and physics and astronomy. And also Kid's
Cube we're going to be donating over a thousand science
kids to the students that come and so with us,
you can make a solar car, you can make up battery,
actually potato battery. I'm not going to give it all away,
but pretty much the kids are going to come out,
they're going to get to build a lot of things.
They're going to get to discover science and have a
(09:21):
good time while doing so.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Ahmed, what I noticed about you is you are not
only a mechanical engineering a major at Stanford Hello, but
you're also an entrepreneur. If kids say to you, why
do we need to care about science?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
What do you say when kids.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Ask me why should I care about science or why
is it important? My answer is because science is one
of the very important languages of the world. And so
to understand science means to be able to understand yourself,
understand the community around you, and also the technologies that
are being developed that have a direct impact on your life.
(09:58):
And so to understand science and to be a scientist
means to be able to take more agency of your
life and the sciences and technologies that you interact with
on a daily basis, and to be able also to
contribute to a future that you want instead of a
future that you accept.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Oh snap, that's good.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Really, to be able to contribute to a future you
want instead of a future you accept.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Aman, I'm curious, how can the community help kids cubed out?
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Well, you don't show up to the STEM fair September fourteen,
and as far as like helping out with kids Cube,
we have a lot of opportunities for volunteering to go
and help us teach, help us assemble our science kids,
create new science kids, and because we create science kids,
but we also do a lot.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
Of in person programming as well.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
So we'll go into open schools and we'll run workshops,
we'll host large events like the STEM Fair, We'll do
summer camps and after school programs, and so there's really
a whole host of ways for folks to help out,
and we don't turn anyone away. We look to see
what people are passionate about what they're good at and find.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
A spot for them.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Speaking of what you're good at, So I suck in math,
and if there's kids who are like, oh man, I
hate math. Math sucks. But STEM is so much more
than that. It's science, technology, engineering, and math. But if
you're not good in math, what paths can you go down?
Because what if you're not like valedictorian but this is
something that you want to do. Are there other ways
(11:26):
that kids can get involved in STEM? And what other
occupations involve STEM for work in the future.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 6 (11:36):
Well, one what I will say is I am a
firm believer that no one is bad at math. I
think folks who are who consider themselves bad at math
just did not have the proper introduction to it, or
the proper teachers are instructions who could draw on their strength.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
And deliver the material to them in a way that's
that suits them personally.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
So if you think you're bad at math, you're not
bad at math might be a different each you can
come over to the kids cue well, it will help
you out with that. And as far as occupations that
don't require math, honestly, I'm still learning about occupations myself,
Like I'm starting trying to go to career fairs and
figuring out what I'm.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Going to do after graduation. So I can't answer that one.
I know. I'm doing an internship right now with PGENI.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
I'm really loving it and I'm I'm being able to
work a lot with members of the team and like
the different technicians and they get to go out into
the field and collect really important data like that has
to do with science and like voltages and corrosions specifically,
and they get to go out and collect really cool
data that the engineers then analyze make informed decisions about,
(12:40):
like do we need to replace this thing or do
we need to maintain this And so that's something that
I've noticed over the summer, and so there are definitely ways,
but I am not an expert.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
You know, everyone who I know who works with loves it.
So it's good that you're in there because that's a
good job.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
It's dope place. I really like it.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Everyone likes it, and it's really really diverse in every
single way. And I have a lot of friends who
work there, So it's good that you're in and you're
getting to learn. And yeah, maybe if I would have
had teachers like you, I probably.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Would have been better in math.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
But instead, you know, I'm doing this which I love.
And if you could be doing anything else that you
love in STEM, what do you think it would be.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
I think it would be. Well one about PG and E.
Like Carla Peterman, Patty.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Poppy, they've been doing such an amazing job over there,
and like my team has been awesome, like Jason and Patrick,
They've really taken me under their wings.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
So I have really been loving it over there. I
just have to say. And as far as what I.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
Would do if I wasn't like an engineer, I would
be a teacher. I think I'd be like a math
teacher or science teacher.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
I think it's really fun. I don't know what grade
level though.
Speaker 6 (13:45):
I really enjoy working with elementary schoolers just because it's
just so like right and excited, and it's like they'll
mess up and like not care, and it's just it's
a different vibe versus like middle schoolers in high schools.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
You know, you're a little older now, but.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
I would say teacher I would either want to do
probably elementary school or high school.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Is there a teacher I thank you, Christy. I was
gonna ask the same thing.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Is there a teacher that really stands out to you
or that impacted you in such a big way for
how you turned out?
Speaker 6 (14:13):
Yeah, a lot of teachers like this could turn into
a very long list. I think of mister de Marinus.
He was my physics teacher at Open Tech. He that
was like my first ever physics class my sophomore year,
and I absolutely loved it. Like I ended up like
applying to college as like a physics major, and it's
very closely related to mechanical engineering.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
So definitely mister d.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
Back in third grade, actually, I did this summer camp
at MLKA Junior Elementary school and someone who honestly is
like my age right now. His name was Kachi Katchi
to we see, I actually haven't been able to get
in contact with Kachi, but he taught me how to
build a bunch of engineering things back in the day,
like when I was like in third grade, and that
really stuck with me honestly to this day.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Just like how you would like to get back in
touch with Kachi. Have kids gotten back in touch with
It's you?
Speaker 6 (15:00):
Yeah, actually, so it's really nice, Like we'll work with
schools or sometimes we'll get a bunch of letters after
we go to schools and kids will be like, oh
my gosh, thank you for coming. We didn't know that
science could be so fun, or oh, I want to
be a scientist now because of like the kids that
you showed us, or like what you taught us, And
that's really fulfilling it And then it encouraged us to
(15:20):
keep going because we see that the kids are responding
positively to our material, to our instructors. So yeah, I
have like hundreds of like letters and drawings and stuff
from students we've worked with, and I keep.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
All of them.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
That's amazing. And then it's It's interesting that you said
science could be fun. That's what I was getting at
when I asked about the jobs, because people think, oh, science, scientists, engineer,
I'm in a lab or I'm you know, in front
of the computer all day. Oh really when it comes
to science with that protractor, Yeah, no, you know, it
could be anything. It'd be working with PG and E,
(15:54):
creating new technology, ev cars, video games that takes different
types of you know, technology to put together. So it
really can be fun.
Speaker 6 (16:04):
Yeah, And honestly, like, I'm glad you mentioned that, because
now that I think about it a little.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
More, you can do anything with science. Like my nephew
and my cousins are going to go off and be
like video game designers. That's science. Like you can go
out and design video games.
Speaker 6 (16:17):
You can build planes, you could build the next robot
to help with doctors and assistive surgery. If you want
to be inside, you want to be outside, if you
want to be on Earth or out in space or
underground or whatever, in a cave or like diving and
looking at coral reefs. Science can take you around the world,
and it can take you anywhere in the world.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
So I would say there's definitely a spot for you
in the field.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Do kids have to go to Oakland Tech to go
to the Stemfair September fourteenth?
Speaker 6 (16:46):
No, no, no, no, So actually the stem Fair is
geared for like elementary schoolers. It just happens to be
at open Tech because you know, I went to oplan
Tech and it's a nice location.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
It's like a nice central location, and so shout out
Oaklan Tech. The stem Fair is actually geared to like.
Speaker 6 (16:59):
Elementary school and like early middle schoolers, and you don't
have to be from like the surrounding area. Like it's
for everybody. If the whole world could show up, I
would want the whole world there.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And it's my birthday, so come through your birthday.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
It is, so can.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
You virgo seventeen.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
From there? My mama's birthday.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Virgos are amazing, very smart. Well, thank you so much, Ahmed.
How can people find more information out about Kit's Cube
and the event and other events in the future.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
I would say just go to our website www dot
kits k I T S cubed c U b ed
dot com. They'll you'll have all of our information of
our current and upcoming events as well as past events.
You can also follow us on Instagram at Kit's Cube.
It's kit like a science kits because some people confuse
it with kid, but kits cubed and you'll find all
(17:55):
the information there and we're really responsive. So you can
email us, send us a message. I'll either see it
or my amazing team members will and we'll make sure
to respond.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
When are you graduating Stanford?
Speaker 6 (18:06):
I'm about to be a senior, so I'll graduate in
June twenty five. I'm going to be applying for master's programs,
so we'll see where I land. Hopefully I'm I'm fortunate
enough to land somewhere. I'll be finishing up my undergrad
this school year and then going on looking to grad school.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
We're excited to see what you do on ed.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Thank you so much for joining the podcast and being
part of our Shenanigans.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Thank you, thank you for inviting me for entertaining my challenge.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Congratulations on getting our stems the Breaks Champion.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Am I gonna put that on your resume?
Speaker 4 (18:40):
I hope I see that on kitscubed dot com.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
I'm going to be bragging.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
The breaks, Okay, I'll Mad Mohammed, thank you so much. O.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Hey, you'll have a good one too.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Bye bye, all right bye.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
I'm mad Mohammed everyone.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
So that is a rock star kid right there. Oh yeah,
so cool.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
That was so neat to talk to him and Christy
coming through some science knowledge right there. Karina, what song
were you dying to bust out?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (19:17):
She blinded me with science.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I wish that you did. I wish that you just
burst out of that.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Okay, Well, that was a super fun episode of Talk
Talk with Martha Quinn. That was podcast number two hundred
and eleven. If you had a teacher who inspired you
to go down some kind of road science, math art,
shout them out.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Tap the talkback microphone. You'll see it right now.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
If you're listening to this podcast on our free iHeartRadio
app shout out the teacher who influenced you. Everyday's teacher
appreciation Day around here. Okay until podcast number two hundred
and twelve of Talk Talk with Marth Quinn.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I'm Marth Quinn, I'm Christie.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
I'm Kreeen of Alaska.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Monsieur Retti
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