Nanovation

Eric Furst from the University of Delaware is an expert in self-assembly -- the Harry Potter-esque ability of materials to assemble themselves into well-defined structures. We talk about where we are, where we are going, and what makes controlling self-assembly so hard. A variety of topics make cameos, including M&Ms, NASA's Vomit Comet, flying solar cells, and more.

Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on April 19, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/30
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Lynn Loo from Princeton University joins the podcast to talk about organic semiconductors -- Si and GaAs's far more tunable and flexible siblings -- and the applications where they shine. We also touch on the value of industry/academic partnerships and the challenges faced by minorities in technical fields.

Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on February 16, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/29
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Dennis Hess from the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech joins the podcast to talk about the early days of the semiconductor industry. We discuss the birth of Fairchild Semiconductor, the so-called "traitorous eight," and their groundbreaking process innovations that still underlie integrated circuit manufacturing.

Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on January 31, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/28
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Bara Cola makes an encore appearance on the podcast to chat about Carbice, a company he founded to commercialize next generation heat transfer materials for cooling electronic devices. We discuss the value and challenge of maintaining business relationships, how competition from abroad is changing the playing field for technology start-ups, and the excitement surrounding a number of carbon nanotube-based products now making their way to the market.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on January 26, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/27
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Jen Dionne from Stanford University is the first guest of 2017! We focus on optical metamaterials -- engineered materials whose nanoscale architecture enables exotic interactions with light. We explore technological possibilities ranging from improved drug manufacturing to computing with photons (instead of electrons). We also learn what motivates Jen, how she picks scientific problems, and whether or not she's a superhero.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on December 6, 2016
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/26
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

On this quadranscentennial episode of Nanovation, Vivian Ferry from the University of Minnesota joins the podcast to talk about nanophotonics -- the ability to squeeze light into and manipulate it with nanoscale objects. We talk about the use of nanophotonics in applications ranging from solar energy harvesting to catalysis and cover the litany of materials and manufacturing challenges.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on November 17, 2016
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/25
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Jim Pfaendtner is a chemical engineer at the University of Washington in Seattle. He joined the podcast to talk about data — the flood of it from modern experiments and simulations, the challenge of dealing with it, and its potential to transform the practice of science and engineering. Other critical topics include the Tacoma Aroma, Swiss army knives, the meaning of life, the dangers of Microsoft Excel, and SkyNet.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on November 15, 2016
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/24
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

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 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.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on November 10, 2016
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/23
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

John Reifenberg, Jeff Weisse, and Tapan Patel from the start-up company Alphabet Energy join the podcast to discuss something all around us: heat. Alphabet Energy is trying to harvest waste heat and, in doing so, increase the energy efficiency of cars, chemical plants, refrigerators, and much more. We focus on thermoelectrics — devices that convert heat into electrical energy. We discuss what’s needed for thermoelectrics to become mainstream products, what’s missed when peak materials performance is overemphasized, and the difficulty of translating laboratory-based fabrication techniques into large-scale manufacturing.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on October 18, 2016
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/22
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Chris Toumey is an anthropologist who specializes in the societal and cultural issues surrounding nanotechnology. We cover a lot of ground in our discussion, including the origins of nanotechnology, how its potential to fundamentally impact the human condition make it ripe for individual interpretation, how different religious groups view nanotechnology, and much more.

Show details:
• Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Recorded on September 27, 2016
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/21
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback