Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast

What if a materials lab on Earth could screen a hundred alloys a day with little input from the scientist? Taylor and Andrew sit down with Joseph Krause, CEO and co-founder of Radical AI, to dig into what it takes to build a self-driving lab and why most of the field is still missing the hard part. From discovering that flagship SEM and XRD instruments ship with no real data access (and rebuilding...

What if you could know which batteries are worth building before you actually build them? Taylor and Andrew sit down with Dr. Qichao Hu, founder of SES AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping battery discovery and his experience in the field. From his decision to ditch solid state electrolytes and double down on liquid, to building a suite of simulation tools that map molecules all...

The fanciest suit isn't on the runway, it's in orbit. In this follow-up episode, Taylor and Andrew bring back Kate Winning from Oxford Space Systems to dive into the world of space textiles. From the knitted gold-plated mesh antennas that fold up for launch and deploy to the size of a room, to the 14-layer suit that keeps astronauts alive. Learn why tungsten makes a better yarn than you'd expect,...

Textiles are all around us, they are literally woven into nearly every part of our daily lives. From the everyday materials in the clothes we wear to the specialty materials in parachutes, spacesuits, and even bulletproof armor. They play a bigger role than we often think about but what exactly is a textile? We sit down with Kate Winning from Oxford Space to explore the world of textiles, breaking...

Many digital models use hard boundaries to simulate how materials change, but the real world is rarely that clean. Phase field modeling takes a more natural approach, capturing the gradual, messy transitions that actually occur. This makes it ideal for simulating things like crack growth or dendrite formation. Taylor sits down with Dr. Jake Bair , an assistant professor at Oklahoma State Universit...

Having access to advanced characterization tools sounds great but sadly they aren't easily attainable. Momentum Transfer seeks to remedy this by offering mail-in access to synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and scattering measurements. Taylor sits down with Dr. Maxwell Terban co-founder of Momentum Transfer to go over the technology and his history with it. They also discuss some interesting use...

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to pioneers in the field of MOFs, but what exactly is a MOF? We sit down with Dr. Matthew J. Cliffe, an associate professor at the University of Cambridge, to discuss what makes metal–organic frameworks deserving of a Nobel Prize. Our conversation ranges from their potential role in capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere to the unique methods used to charac...

3D printing and SPS(Spark Plasma Sintering) are two incredible techniques that are best suited for different purposes, but what if there was a way to combine them to open up a whole new world of possibilities. We sit down with Christopher Melnyk, Director of Business Development at CalNano to talk about how they are achieving this combination. We explore the different parts that make up this new h...

There’s a lot more to gems than just sparkly rocks. While we can’t promise they’ll cleanse bad vibes, we can dive into the incredible science behind them. In this episode, Andrew and Taylor chat with Mubashir Mansoor, a gemologist and PhD candidate in Materials Science at Istanbul Technical University, to uncover the rich past of gemstones and how they are shaping the future. From restoring a man’...

You may not think of glass production as a significant source of CO₂, but the stats may surprise you. Enter Penn State and their LionGlass, a phosphate-based glass that not only lowers the temperature needed for forming, but also avoids the CO₂ emissions that come from the carbonate materials used in conventional glassmaking. We sit down to discuss the recently published paper on this new glass an...

Seeing atomic scale interactions in real time may sound like science fiction, but operando TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) has made it science fact. Unlike traditional TEM, which looks at static samples, operando TEM enables scientists to watch materials evolve dynamically while they undergo reactions. In this episode, we sit down with Patricia Kooyman, a professor at the University of Cape...

We are surrounded by processed and packaged food, but how did we get here? Inspired by "The Material Advantage " by Bernie Bulkin, Taylor and Andrew explore the topic of food packaging. From prizes offered by Napoleon to patent theft, the history of food packaging is an interesting one. Thanks to Bernie Bulkin for sending us copies of the book to read. You can find an Amazon Link to the...

Glass is all around us but you may not spend much time thinking about it's history and advancements. In this episode we sit down with Colin Schmucker and Dr. Sebastian Leukel from SCHOTT AG to discuss this common but fascinating material. From naturally occurring glass formed by lightning to stained glass windows in cathedrals, glass has been apart of human history forever. We explore some of the...

From glowing plastic stars on bedroom ceilings to quirky novelty items, most of us have encountered the magic of things that shine in the dark but what’s really behind the glow? Andrew and Taylor dive into the science of photoluminescence, breaking down the physics of how it works and the materials that make it possible. Join them as they explore the two main glow-in-the-dark methods—phosphorescen...

Just because the temperature is rising doesn’t mean your electric bill has to. Introducing cooling paints: Jared and Andrew discuss how painting your house with specialized coatings can noticeably reduce the temperature. We dive into the physics behind these paints and the materials that make them possible. We explore topics ranging from common pigments to health concerns over VOCs and Nanoparticl...

Few things in materials science are more interesting and rewarding than discovering new materials. In this episode, Taylor and Andrew sit down with Paul Canfield, a physicist from Ames Laboratory to discuss materials discovery—and the creative ways he writes about it. From cooking metaphors to "shaving the dice" to beat nature, they dive into the colorful word choice he uses to bring his...

What if you could find materials with tailored properties without ever entering the lab? We sit down with Tian Xie from Microsoft to discuss their new AI tool MatterGen. We learn all about what the tool does and the tests they put it through to validate the output. We also discuss the new Azure AI Foundry where they plan to have MatterSim and MatterGen interact and support each other. This Materia...

Have you ever read a published paper and wished you had access to the raw data? The journal Integrating Materials and Manufacturing Innovation (IMMI) seeks to solve that issue. Taylor, the current Editor-in-Chief, sits down with Chuck Ward( Previously Chief of Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies at AFRL and outgoing Editor-in-Chief at IMMI) to discuss how IMMI is different from other journal...

How do we turn plants into plastics and polymers? Find out in this episode as Taylor leaves Utah and ventures to Washington to sit down with Eleftheria Roumeli, an assistant professor at the University of Washington and researcher in the field of biomatter. Learn all about how a fish tank full of "gross" bacteria can be used to create complex and surprisingly strong shapes or about how E...

From antelope skin chains to full beryllium frames its safe to say bikes and the materials that make them have a fascinating history. Join us as we celebrate episode 100 and dive into the materials science behind this beloved mode of transportation. Starting at the invention of the first bike due to a massive volcanic eruption to the specialty bikes more expensive than a car. We break down the mat...

How does a metal become a glass? By cooling on the order of 10^6 K/s. We sit down with Jan Schroers, a professor of engineering at Yale to discuss the exciting world of bulk metallic glasses. With over 20 million different combinations these materials are incredibly versatile and have strength numbers on par with ceramics. Also their thermoplastic forming enables metals to be formed into shapes pr...

What brings a social media company into materials science? In this episode, we talk with Larry Zitnick of Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) and Aaike van Vught from VSParticle about building OCx24, an open catalysis materials database. We discuss the challenges of creating an experimental database from scratch and how autonomous spark ablation devices made it possible. We cap things off with a...

What do a Mach-3 aircraft and a hip replacement have in common? They are both made of titanium. In this episode we dive into this incredible material from its name rooted in Greek mythology to the unique variants of commercial titanium. Learn about the interesting challenges facing titanium's use in the SR-71 to the new variants being actively researched to help bring this material up to superallo...

At temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun (>20,000K), a revolutionary physics-based process is creating the future of nanomaterials - no chemicals required. We talk to Aaike van Vugt co-founder of VSParticle and an expert in the field of spark ablation. He walks us through the process of coating materials in nanoparticles as well as its various uses. We explore what materials are suita...

You probably think you know a lot about steel, you couldn’t be more wrong. In this episode we sit down with Caelan Kennedy from the Steel Founders’ Society of America to discuss the intricacies of steel. From tuning properties by using different elements in the alloy to the confusing naming conventions. This episode will help expand your knowledge about a material you thought was pretty simple. Th...