Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast
An exploration of the past, present, and future of materials science and engineering.
- Update frequency
- every 21 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 111
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Episode 10: Seeing With Electrons
The optical microscope was discovered in the 17th century and ever since has been a staple of scientific discovery. It uncovered germs and let humanity investigate the microscopic world. However, opt…
Episode 9: Materials That Remember
Imagine stepping on your favorite glasses and bending the frame horribly out of shape. Now imagine immersing these glasses in boiling water and seeing them snap back into their original shape with no…
Episode 8: Yes, Chocolate is a Material
Did you know that chocolate has a crystal structure? We all think of metals, ceramics, polymers, electronic materials, composites and so forth as materials. But what else? Is chocolate an engineering…
Episode 7: Gore-Tex: Structuring a Company like a Material
Can you structure a company like a material? In this episode we cover the fascinating discovery of Gore-Tex, and the equally fascinating company that created it. First, we delve in the materials scie…
Episode 6: Hemodialysis and the Birth of Artificial Organs
What role do materials play in artificial organs? Are there materials that body simply won't accept? In this episode we talk about the birth of artificial organs as we describe the history of hemodia…
Episode 5: Solving Structures with X-Rays
In this episode we cover the history and development of crystallography, the study of the structures that make up the materials around us. The history of this field is filled with accidental discover…
Episode 4: Turning Heat into Electricity
In this episode we talk about thermoelectrics, which are materials that can convert heat into electricity or vice versa. Since their inception almost 200 years ago there have been major advances in t…
Episode 3: Making Materials in a Microwave
In this episode we learn about an unexpected approach to processing materials: the common kitchen microwave. While most people only think about the microwave when it’s time to reheat some leftovers, …
Episode 2: Materials Commercialization: Batch 21
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Chett Boxley, the co-founder of Glycosurf LLC and Batch 21. Chett is a serial entrepreneur with a PhD in chemistry from the University of Utah and a long history …
Episode 1: The History of Steel
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Materialism Podcast! In this episode we cover the most ubiquitous and important engineering material of all time: steel. The story of steel is fascinating and …
