Eray Aydil from the University of Minnesota joins the podcast to discuss surfaces — the boundaries between two phases. We talk about what they are, how they're interrogated, and why they’re important. Along the way, we also touch on the changing relationship between academia and industry, the importance of serendipity in scientific discovery, and how maintaining enthusiasm during early college courses is surprisingly indicative of future success in science and engineering. (Recorded on November 10, 2016 from the 63rd AVS Symposium and Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee)