There is an increasing awareness of our carbon footprint as we fight global warming. This talk will highlight ways to reduce carbon emissions as we generate the energy needed for a productive society. This talk will serve as a brief introduction to a more in-depth discussion on this topic at Materials Day where input will be gathered to shape an interdisciplinary RFP.
Healthcare is being reshaped by the availability of devices that a person can wear to monitor and share vital signs and other indicators of their health. This talk will highlight programs that use IoT and other devices to improve health, healthcare, and wellbeing. This talk will serve as a brief introduction to a more in-depth discussion on this topic at Materials Day where input will be gathered to shape an interdisciplinary RFP.
Martin Sliwinski | College of Health and Human Development
We have become a disposable society that discards old items in favor of new ones. The medical field has done this historically via procedures such as joint replacement and using prosthetics. This talk will highlight opportunities in regenerative engineering, will be an opportunity to hear about forthcoming Huck/MRI seed funding, and will include an invitation to join more in-depth discussions on this topic at Materials Day and the regenerative engineering symposium at PSU.
Computing power has come a long way since we put a man on the moon. Whereas a smartphone is many times more powerful than computers were in 1969, new computers rival the human brain in scientific processes. This talk will discuss applications of new computing technologies to shorten the time required to develop new materials, will be an opportunity to hear about forthcoming ICDS/MRI seed funding, and will include an invitation to join more in-depth discussions on this topic at Materials Day.
While we are all familiar with information preserved on hard disks, DVDs, or paper, a vast array of the materials around us can store and recall memories—sometimes in surprising ways. From my lab's research, I will show a few ways that soft solids and fluidic systems can form detailed memories when they are deformed. Examining a system's capacity to remember reveals surprising connections among disparate forms of living and nonliving matter—and suggests possibilities for making materials more programmable, adaptable, and traceable.
Sixty years ago, President Kennedy alluded to the interdisciplinarity of water challenges and associated solutions when he said, “Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes - one for peace and one for science.” These challenges have grown increasingly acute with the pressures of a burgeoning human population and manifesting climate change, with many needed innovations to be found across disciplines. This talk will highlight the Penn State Water Initiative, which was launched to foster interdisciplinary water-related research and amplify the university’s impact in helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing water challenges.
Andrew Warner | Director, Water Consortium