There are many forms of energy around us: light, heat, vibrations, wind, electromagnetic fields, fluid flow, waves, organic waste, etc. At large scale, many of these energy sources already play a significant role in powering our society and are projected to become dominant contributors by 2040. On the smaller scale, exciting scientific and engineering challenges must be overcome to harness these energy sources.
As we begin the New Year we’ll take a moment to celebrate some recent accomplishments and look towards the future: winners of the 2017 Rustum and Della Roy Awards will be announced, new faculty will be highlighted, and I’ll provide an update on some MRI strategic initiatives.
By Jamie Oberdick
Carbyne, a one-dimensional chain of carbon atoms, is incredibly strong for being so thin, making it an intriguing possibility for use in next-generation electronics, but its extreme instability causing it to bend and snap on itself made it nearly impossible to produce at all, let alone produce enough of it for advanced studies. Now, an international team of researchers, including from Penn State, may have a solution.
(e) bsw146@psu.edu
N-354 Millennium Science Complex
Penn State recently launched the Center of Excellence in Directed Energy (CEDE), a University-wide center designed to conduct basic research on focused energy — like lasers or microwaves — to develop new applications and build up a workforce skilled in the science and systems development of directed energy (DE).
(e) sam7808@psu.edu
(o) 814-865-5881
104 Benkovic Building
By Maria Lucas
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has drastically improved the uniformity and speed of metal parts manufacturing, but the printed parts are often plagued with defects, such as pores, that limit their performance. The process also requires an inspection of each part after printing, which can slow down production and limit where parts can be made.
By Adrienne Berard
From microscopic robots that can carry and deliver drugs inside the human body to tiny particles that can detect and break down microplastics, an emerging field called active matter is looking toward the microscale to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.
By Adrienne Berard
Saying one thing while feeling another is part of being human, but bottling up emotions can have serious psychological consequences like anxiety or panic attacks. To help health care providers tell the difference, a team led by scientists at Penn State has created a stretchable, rechargeable sticker that can detect real emotions — by measuring things like skin temperature and heart rate — even when users put on a brave face.