Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast

A slightly different take on the podcast. Join the gang as we celebrate 50 episodes and dive back through the history of how it all started. Learn the backstories of how we all got involved and where…

A recent report in the Wall Street Journal pointed out that building one wind turbine requires 900 tons of steel, 2,500 tons of concrete and 45 tons of plastic and a single electric vehicle will requ…

Did you know turbine blades operate in environments above their melting temperature? The secret is a barrier, no thicker than your fingernail, that insulates, protects, and prevents the nickel supera…

Taylor and Andrew sit down with Cassie Bradley of INEOS Styrolution to talk about improving polystyrene and reducing its ecological footprint.

Articles Discussed:

• Video overview of the depolymerizat…

Are materials the solution to better, safer nuclear fuels? The tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particle is the product of a variety of materials innovations and is the most promising fuel form …

The Space Shuttle Challengers Explosion rocked America to its core. Was this issue actually caused by engineering or was it a management mistake. Delve into the story of the Rogers Commission and the…

Imagine mounting a pair of cameras to watch your sample as it's deformed and recovering microscale information about the strain! That is exactly what digital image correlation has to offer. In this e…

Geopolymers are a unique class of materials that may offer a solution to environmental issues in the industrial sector including cement substitutes that produce only one-ninth of the CO2 as Portland …

The sinking of the Titanic is one of the great catastrophes of the modern era. In this latest mini-series on failure of materials, we ask the question what really caused the sinking of the Titanic? W…

After the popular 3D printing episode the gang dives into a conversation about what 3D printing can be used for. Ranging from Aerospace to organs to edible water bottles this technology is creeping i…

Take a dive into the history of fatigue crack growth with Jared and Taylor. Featuring the history of the equations and the applications they saw in the story of the DeHaviland Comet.

Articles Discuss…

Taylor and Jared give a brief overview of current energy storage devices and the materials that makes them work. Then they dive into an interview with Joe Sleppy CEO of Capacitech to discuss what his…

Join Jared, Ramsey, and Andrew in a new type of Micro for a more laidback conversation about the silicon chip shortage plaguing the global economy. Learn about the perfect storm of factors that's lea…

We finally get to our most requested topic, 3D-printing! This is the first episode in a two part series on 3D printing. This will cover the science and engineering that makes the various methods poss…

Taylor and Ramsey look into the future of refrigeration and how magnetocaloric materials will drive a more efficient system. How soon will you be replacing your fridge with these and what exactly mak…

A look into Spark "Plasma" Sintering and why the name is a misnomer. Follow the history as it goes from Mayan jewelry making all the way to Dr. Sparks building one in his lab at the University of Uta…

Ramsey and Andrew take a look into the surprising science that helps make cooking as easy as can be. They explain the dangers that cooking with some of these materials can create and how to avoid it.

The development of photography is inextricably linked to the development of advanced materials and chemicals. In this episode, Andrew and Jared discuss the science that makes photography possible. Th…

A review of the book "Scientific Freedom: The Elixir of Civilization" by Donald Braben. Taylor and Andrew dive into the radical ideas Braben implemented in his role as Director of Venture Research at…

Diffusion is when atoms move through a material in response to a concentration gradient. However, some ions can move through a material in response to an electric field and can do so very quickly! Ev…