Show Archive
Doug Natelson is a different kind of geek. He's an expert in the physics of nanoscale materials, but he’s also a world-class science communicator. Doug authors the blog Nanoscale Views, where he writes about a range of general interest and technical topics. We talk about his lab's studies of heating at the nanoscale, his love of blogging, and his recently published textbook on nanotechnology. (Recorded on September 1, 2016)
Show Notes:
Ivan Oransky is the co-founder (with his colleague Adam Marcus) of Retraction Watch, a website that tracks retractions in the scientific literature. This episode was recorded during Ivan's visit to Georgia Tech to give the Phillips 66 / C.J. "Pete" Silas Program in Ethics and Leadership lecture. We discussed his motivations for starting Retraction Watch, the reasons for the rising number of retractions, and what drives (a very small number of) scientists to commit fraud. (Recorded on August 31, 2016)
Show Notes:
Phillips 66 / C.J. “Pete” Silas Program in Ethics and Leadership
Ferric Fang et al - "Misconduct Accounts for the Majority of Retracted Scientific Publications"
Alison McCook - "New Retraction Watch Partnership Will Create Retraction Database"
Gaming Metrics: Innovation & Surveillance in Academic Misconduct
Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus - "Are ‘Predatory’ Publishers’ Days Numbered?"
Sarah Kaplan - "Major Publisher Retracts 64 Scientific Papers in Fake Peer Review Outbreak"
Taylor Harvey is the co-founder of Lucelo Technologies, a company working on low cost solar cell manufacturing. We chat about what’s really needed in the solar market, the often frustrating challenge of raising capital, and how an initially niche product can eventually disrupt incumbent players. Somehow skiing, autocorrect, Chuck E. Cheese, and theatrical stage lighting make cameos along the way. (Recorded on August 9, 2016)
Mark Styczynski is a systems biologist and Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. He knows very little about nanotechnology, but that's the point. We discuss what biotechnologists and nanotechnologists don't understand about each other and how they might collaborate in the future. (Recorded on August 3, 2016)
Jordi Arbiol from the Catalan Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Barcelona, Spain joins the podcast to talk about electron microscopy and its remarkable ability to visualize nanomaterials in atomic-level detail. (Recorded on July 19, 2016)
Show Notes:
European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) EU-40 Materials Prize
Daniel Jacobsson et al - "Interface Dynamics and Crystal Phase Switching in GaAs Nanowires"
Joachim Mayer - "TEM Sample Preparation and FIB-Induced Damage"
Peter Ercius - "3D Imaging of Nanostructures Using Electron Tomography"
Rowan Leary - "Chromatic Aberration Correction: The Next Step in Electron Microscopy"
Special guest Matthew Realff from the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech joins the show. We chat about wind energy, carpet recycling, coke bottles, sucking carbon dioxide out of the air, and the "chemical engineering-ification" of nanomaterials manufacturing. (Recorded on June 24, 2016)
Show Notes:
Jo Borrás - "Instant Torque And Blazing Speeds The Best Thing About Electric Cars"
Eli Kintisch - "Can Sucking CO2 Out of the Atmosphere Really Work?"
Computer History Museum - "From Sand to Silicon: Integrated Circuit Design and Manufacturing"
Mark Hersam - "Progress Towards Monodisperse Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes"
What do you get when you combine current events and nanotechnology? NanoBama, a carbon nanotube based picture of the 44th President of the United States. John Hart, the leader of the Mechanosynthesis Group at MIT, joins the podcast to talk about his love of nanomanufacturing and science communication. We talk about the challenge of developing “code” for nanomanufacturing processes and how nanomanufacturing is in a (sometimes frustrating) adolescent phase. John also shares his experience preparing for and presenting a TEDx talk. (Recorded on June 17, 2016)
Charlie Bennett is back! We start by chatting about the joys and challenges of hosting Nanovation. Then, within the context of the movie Terminator Genisys, which is truly awful, we discuss self-replicating nanomachines. We overview their original articulation, the scientific arguments for and against their ultimate realization, and how, in the near-term, biology is far more likely to get us. (Recorded on June 7, 2016.)
Brian Korgel from the University of Texas at Austin joins the podcast to reminisce about nano's past and ponder its future. We chat about his formative years as a graduate student, the giants whose shoulders he has stood upon, and a (long forgotten) time when it was necessary to convince your colleagues of the value of nanoscience. We also discuss a future where nanomaterials have found their place in solar energy technologies and one where we have far better control of the interface between materials and biology. (Recorded on May 12, 2016.)
Nancy Healy is the director of education and outreach for the National Science Foundation funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). A recovering micropaleontologist, she oversees activities at the 16 primary NNCI sites around the country. We talk about the educational mission of the NNCI, the public’s evolving perceptions of nanotechnology, and how you’re never too young to be inspired by it. We make sure to cover the usual nano topics, including magic sand, Wil Wheaton, khaki pants, superheros, meatballs, school buses, and ferrofluids. (Recorded on April 19, 2016)
Show Notes:
National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) --> National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) --> Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC)
Mihail (Mike) Rocco (the father of the NNI)
NanoComp (carbon nanotube product manufacturer based in New Hampshire)
Nanooze! (a children's magazine on nanotechnology)
Example nanoscience and nanotechnology programs: Joint School for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (JSNN), SUNY Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK) Network
Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes (high school student competition)
Project Mc2 (science education for girls)
