Can pizzas be baked in a blast furnace?
Can pizzas be baked in a blast furnace? The question we answered in Wetenschapje
“Can pizzas be baked in a blast furnace?” A question children ask when we talk about how we work with big ovens to recycle phones into precious metals. If you are a scientist, or an adult for that matter, you may think this is a silly question, but making youngsters intrigued and eager to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) is no easy task. Wetenschapje, best translated as “Science Byte” in English, is a Belgian podcast for children produced by Het Geluidshuis. The initiative focuses on creating fun questions and answers that teach children about STEM. Two Umicore colleagues had the opportunity to participate in the podcast and answer questions on metallurgy and recycling.
Listen to the Podcast (NL only)
Stephanie graduated as an engineer with a PhD in Material Science and works at Umicore since 2010. She applied for a job right after she had visited Umicore in Olen when she was a student. “When I was young I wanted to do everything, I really had a broad interest, and becoming an engineer allowed me to taste a bit of everything. When I joined Umicore I had the opportunity to do different things within my field - from research to operations and supply chain”. When asked about participating in the podcast she was immediately enthusiastic, not only because of the experience but for what it meant. “My children are in the target age, and I knew immediately they would love it. When you work in STEM it can be fun but complex and not always easy to explain or understand. The fact that we can tease the interest of children about metallurgy and recycling in a fun and captivating way sounded very exciting. Looking at the result I’m proud to say it does sound very cool!”
Annick, Head of R&D for Electro-Optical Materials, graduated as a master in quantum chemistry. She works at Umicore since 2011. “As a young girl, I loved math, but even more, I loved solving riddles—especially when they involved science and math. Now, what I enjoy most about my role is its broad scope: on one hand, it ranges from recycling to producing wafers in a clean room, and on the other, from tackling customer challenges to driving innovation. I aim to make meaningful improvements by challenging today’s reality, and I encourage my team to explore every angle of the puzzles they encounter.
She joined the podcast as well, and when the discussion turned to germanium, she was the trusted expert. “I loved it! I have two daughters, and on car rides, we avoid screens, so podcasts are perfect. The funny thing is, we’re actually fans of the initiative Wetenschapje, so being part of it was an honor. It’s an amazing podcast with just the right balance of science and storytelling. And the best part is, as a parent, you’re genuinely entertained too.
Literally so children understand
Stephanie had a first look at the podcast in the office and decided to play it together with her colleagues. “We were all laughing! You have the podcast interviewer describing how a metal sees the process of recycling in all its faces and then you hear the 2 mars rovers talking to each other, it’s really creative and something you truly enjoy. No matter the age, we all were proud to hear a new way of describing our business”.
Annick enjoyed listening the episode and felt proud to see recycling made fun and engaging for children. “When the interviewer asked questions, I pictured explaining it to my own daughters. I thought about how I would describe my job and the work my colleagues and I do. The only difference is, my daughters would definitely have asked a lot more follow-up questions!”
The importance of STEM
Inge, Young Talent and Onboarding manager, leads the initiatives around children and STEM. At Umicore we see it as our mission not only to inspire and innovate with current professionals but also to inspire the STEM leaders of the future. “We are always looking for initiatives and when we were invited to participate in Wetenschapje it was a no-brainer. A podcast is not only a sustainable option but it’s something you listen to in your free time. It’s not part of a learning package or sponsored by a school – you do it for fun, voluntarily and you know its impact . You can learn about science in the car with your family. We all need people who have a heart for science and it’s at this age that we can plant the seed in youngsters. Who knows maybe one of our listeners will be walking in the Umicore hallways in the future”.
Annick also believes that being in touch with science at a young age is important. “Children have to think about future careers when they’re still quite young, and they usually know only familiar jobs like teachers or police officers. We should make science more visible to them, such as labs and research. Science doesn’t really need promoting—it’s already interesting. Once they get to see and experience it, they’ll love it right away.”
Inge shared that it's not only about STEM but also about diversity and inclusion in the STEM areas: “ We are proud to have 2 female scientist represent Umicore. You can’t underestimate the power that it has to have a female voice explain science in a podcast, it broadens the spectrum for girls. Hearing Stephanie and Annick today showed girls that the cliché of science is only for boys is definitely not true”.
The truth is you can’t bake pizzas in a blast furnace, they’d instantly disappear but the knowledge trip our experts take you in on the podcast is much more fun than that short answer.
You understand Dutch and are curious about the podcast?
