When you pick up a racquet at the tennis court, have you ever thought: “this feels great!” Or, “this doesn’t feel so great”? There’s a science to that!
Sports equipment companies rely on feedback from amateur players, professionals, customers, and their employees to design better products by translating subjective data into materials engineering problems. This lets them improve on pre-existing designs on sports gear.
We are joined by Koki Asahina, an MSE student from Georgia Tech who is currently a racket sports engineering intern at Wilson Sporting Goods Company, who tells us all about how the “feel” is crucial to the design and improvement of sports equipment, and the large role played by materials science in this.
🔹How feedback from players and users are used to improve racquet design
🔹How sports equipment are tested using industry-standard experiments
🔹Why simulations are useful to understand the relationship between material properties and their functions
🔹Why we need a worldwide standard of material specifications
🔹And much more!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
#SportsScience #Tennis #Materials
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Timestamps:
Teaser (0:00 – 0:41)
Intro, life updates, and episode highlights (0:41 – 4:11)
Introducing Koki Asahina (4:11 – 4:57)
Link between physiology and sports equipment (4:57 - 7:25)
Work on Parkinson's rehabilitation (7:25 - 12:16)
Developing a simulated tester at Wilson R&D (12:16 - 14:48)
Importance of ‘feel’ (14:48 - 17:11)
Improving racquets using feedback (17:11 - 25:50)
Simulations in racquet design (25:50 - 31:43)
Need for standardization for materials testing (31:43 - 36:18)
Future of materials engineering in sports equipment (36:18 - 38:41)
Conclusion (38:41 – 39:00)
MSE Academy (39:00 – 40:04)
125: Driving Nuclear Energy: Data-Driven Materials Science (ft. David Pham)
Monday, November 20, 2023 • Duration 51:50
A resume mix-up landed a material scientist into a data scientist role. This happy accident led him to discover how data drives the design and operation of materials and experiments.
At its core, nuclear energy is all about generating electricity by converting water to steam to drive a turbine - very, very powerfully. But there’s a ton of data management that goes into its successful operation.
Our guest this week is David Pham, a senior materials engineer at TerraPower, who talks about his current projects Natrium, a Gen IV nuclear reactor, and ARMI, their in-house materials database solution. Join us as we also discuss:
🔹How data from materials, mechanical properties, chemical operations dictates the experiments and models in nuclear processes.
🔹 The importance of rigorous record keeping and data management in a sensitive field like nuclear energy.
🔹 The regulatory and auditing challenges in the nuclear industry, and how it departs from traditional sectors like oil and gas.
🔹 How data science will become more and more important for nuclear and material (and any kind of) engineers in the future.
🔹 And much more!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
116: The Materials Science of Cosmetics: Cosmetic Chemistry (ft. Kelly Dobos)
Monday, August 28, 2023 • Duration 43:22
Cosmetic chemistry is the science responsible for the creation and refinement of makeup, body wash, deodorant, and many more body-based products that people use every day. But who actually designs these products, and what principles do they use? How do they decide what is safe to put on your face or your skin?
In today’s episode, we welcome Kelly Dobos, Cosmetic Chemistry Consultant and Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati. With her, we discuss all things cosmetic chemistry, specifically:
🔹 The physics behind cosmetic chemistry, specifically leveraging particle interactions with light.
🔹 How cosmetics can be customized or generalized to perform well on different skin tones.
🔹 Myths vs. facts about cosmetics, and how to tell if a cosmetic is safe to use.
🔹 How cosmetics are tested without the use of animal testing.
🔹 And much more!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
115: The Design of Earthquake-Resistant Buildings (ft. Dr. Matthew Bandelt)
Episode 5
Monday, August 7, 2023 • Duration 33:11
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
114: Design Meets Engineering: The Making of E-Textiles (ft. Madison Maxey)
Monday, July 31, 2023 • Duration 35:54
What do wearable medical devices, automotive interiors, and healthcare products all have in common?
Electronic textiles (E-textiles) can be used for all of them!
Generally, the resistance of a material increases when it is stretched. E-textiles enable new form factors for conductive circuitry and new products due to their ability to maintain resistance despite stretching. But what kinds of materials are used in e-textiles, and how can we improve them even further?
In today's episode, we welcome Madison Maxey, Founder and CEO of Loomia, a company centered around the manufacture of flexible circuitry for E-textiles. With her, we discuss:
🔹 What an E-textile is, and several different approaches of manufacturing them.
🔹 Comparisons between E-textiles and traditional circuit boards.
🔹 Material differences in E-textiles for different industries.
🔹 How to market your niche industry or product.
🔹 And much more!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
113: Adaptation in the Oil and Gas Industry (ft. Justin Gauthier)
Monday, July 24, 2023 • Duration 55:27
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
112: Commercializing Ocean-Inspired Sustainable Fibers (ft. Dr. Chris Mekeel)
Monday, July 10, 2023 • Duration 43:23
As a new sustainable biopolymer fiber, seaweed boasts a wide development and application space. If this material could be engineered to make personalized products, its combination of light weight and high air permeability could entail promising high-end products while being infinitely reproducible and environmentally friendly.
In today's episode, we welcome Dr. Chris Mekeel, the current VP of R&D at Keel Labs, a company that takes inspiration from the ocean to create biobased fiber products. With him, we discuss:
🔹The differences between lab-scale, pilot-scale, demonstration-scale, and commercial-scale operations.
🔹Advice for how to make the change from school to industry back to graduate school.
🔹How a VP balances the need for innovation with timelines and budgeting.
🔹The challenges in using biobased materials in different environments.
🔹And much more!
🔹
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
111: Applications of Perovskites: Solar Cells & Beyond (ft. Akash Singh)
Episode 4
Monday, July 3, 2023 • Duration 44:40
Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/oBCvpLutoGM
Perovskites are a different material than the silicon wafers that make up traditional solar panels – they have a unique crystallographic structure that makes them highly effective at converting photons of light from the sun into usable electricity.
In today's episode, we welcome Akash Singh, a current 4th year Ph.D. candidate at Duke University. Akash’s research is centered around perovskite materials, with a goal of enabling next-generation solar cells, sensors, memory, and computing devices. With him, we discuss:
🔹 Describe the perovskite class of materials, and what makes them so desirable for solar cells.
🔹 What makes a glassy perovskite special.
🔹 Comparison of perovskite-based products with products based on other materials
🔹 Advice to students who want to improve the quality and impact of their scientific writing.
🔹And much more!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
110: Pioneering Performance Apparel for the Office and the Gym (ft. Gihan Amarasiriwardena)
Episode 3
Monday, June 26, 2023 • Duration 48:21
Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/hLVGRIbH01c
Picture this: you BARELY made it to your big meeting on time, but you had to hustle get there. You didn’t anticipate the sweat stains. Why on Earth did you decide to run in your nicest business clothes??
Let’s rewind.
Imagine the same scenario, but you are wearing Ministry of Supply business wear. Instead, you are cool and dry, giving you the self-confidence you need to ace that presentation. How is their business wear so comparable to sportswear, like Gore-Tex or Nike’s Dri-Fit?
In today’s episode, we welcome Gihan Amarasiriwardena, the Co-Founder and President of Ministry of Supply, a company that uses materials science and advanced technology to combine the properties of sportswear and business wear. With him, we discuss:
🔹 The technological challenges and processes for creating breathable businesswear
🔹 How inspiration for textiles was taken from NASA’s phase change materials
🔹 The intricacies of recycling textiles and how the industry can work towards net-zero carbon
🔹 How to translate your passions to jobs and income
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
109: How AI & ML Will Revolutionize Microscopy (ft. Dr. Sergei Kalinin)
Monday, June 19, 2023 • Duration 48:42
Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/8t4yR6br6Kg
Have you ever taken a long SEM scan, only to realize that the image doesn’t show what you are looking for?
Or maybe you were grinding and polishing a mounted sample, only to realize that you grinded too much material away.
Normally, you would have to start over the data collection process in these scenarios. But what if AI could automate the image-taking process? What if it could detect 3D information based on a 2D image?
In today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Sergei Kalinin, professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for today’s guest. We explore the potential benefits of applying ML & AI to microscopy. Specifically, we discuss:
🔹How microscopy could be automated
🔹What value can ML and AI contribute to microscopy and MSE as a whole
🔹Advice for students of how to easily switch career paths
🔹The “hidden” differences between working in academia, industry, and national labs
🔹And much more!
We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!
Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice.
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
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Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
#NuclearPower #DataScience #Materials
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Timestamps:
Teaser (0:00 – 0:48)
Intro, life updates, and episode highlights (0:48 – 5:18)
Introducing David Pham (5:18 – 5:55)
Dispelling myths about nuclear energy (5:55 - 7:29)
Data management at TerraPower (7:29 - 8:32)
Regulations in the nuclear energy sector (8:32 - 10:06)
How data dictates design and operations (10:06 - 12:16)
Auditing the data and calculations (12:16 - 15:41)
Project Natrium and materials selection (15:41 - 24:10)
Importance of data science for materials engineers (24:10 - 28:05)
Data sources and quality management (28:05 - 41:18)
Advice to data scientists and aspiring engineers (41:10 - 52:05)
Conclusion (52:05 – 52:27)
MSE Academy (52:27 – 53:33)
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
#Chemistry #Cosmetics #materialsscience
Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/MDNESrR0C7M
- Earthquake-resistant vs. normal concrete (7:47 – 12:38)
- Material property differences (12:38 – 14:29)
- Probability of buildings collapsing (14:29 – 18:25)
- Global concrete usage & carbon footprint (18:25 – 20:48)
- Extending lifetime of concrete & reducing construction (20:48 – 23:37)
- Material property tetrahedron of concrete (23:37 – 25:59)
- General standards for construction (25:59 – 27:27)
- Concrete innovation in 5-10 years (27:27 – 29:20)
- Advice (29:20 – 31:38)
- Conclusion (31:38 – 33:22)
- MSE Academy (33:22 – 34:28)
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
- Justin’s journey from a tech to business strategy (6:02 – 8:58)
- What degrees to get and why (8:58 – 13:27)
- How working on podcasts have helped Justin (13:27 – 19:12)
- Advice for how to find “the next thing” (19:12 – 24:25)
- Processes used for drilling oil vs. gas (24:25 – 29:40)
- Stigma against oil & gas (29:40 – 39:28)
- Sustainable alternatives to oil & gas (39:28 – 47:44)
- MSE’s role in the global energy industry (47:44 – 54:21)
- Balancing expertise with adaptability (54:21 – 57:35)
- Conclusion (57:35 – 59:30)
- MSE Academy (59:30 – 1:00:35)
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
- Deciding to pursue fundamental knowledge or applied (23:44 – 26:38)
- Using biomaterials in new environments (26:38 – 29:21)
- Taking inspiration from past work (29:21 – 32:08)
- Deciding who to partner with (32:08 – 35:23)
- How a technology can spread to other fields (35:23 – 40:31)
- How you can make going back to school work (40:31 – 45:45)
- Conclusion (45:45 – 46:04)
- MSE Academy (46:04 – 47:09)
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
#materialsscience #perovskite #Solar Cells
Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.
https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!
https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop
For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at itsamaterialworldpodcast@gmail.com. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE!
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.
