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Forcing Atoms into Chaotic, Uncomfortable – but Extraordinary Places - Saeed Almishal Materials Science & Engineering
The search for new phases of matter is one of the most thrilling challenges in materials science. Why? Because discovering and designing new materials unlocks groundbreaking technologies—from faster electronics to cleaner energy solutions. But what if, instead of following the conventional rules of stability, we embraced disorder? High-entropy oxides take an unconventional route, challenging the limits of traditional material design. Instead of relying on enthalpy-driven approaches, they harness entropy—deliberately mixing a wide variety of elements in a single crystal structure. This randomness creates materials that defy expectations: chemically disordered yet structurally ordered, and often with surprising new properties. By trapping these chaotic atomic arrangements at room temperature, we force atoms into environments they wouldn’t naturally choose—unlocking possibilities for novel functionalities and next-generation technologies.
Learning to Walk and Wink: Terrestrial Fish Inspired Design - Tom Stewart, Biology, Penn State
~ 375 million years ago, early tetrapods began transitioning from life in the water to life on land. To understand how they achieved this major transition, we study the fossil record and the diversity of living fishes. Here I’ll discuss two behaviors that are adaptations to life on land—walking and blinking—and how we are studying the origins of these behaviors to learn about joint mechanics and neural system evolution. These investigations help us to understand how functional innovations originate at evolutionary timescales and reveal new comparative systems for bio-inspired design.
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