14 September

My first degree was in an area which is hardly even mentioned to young students, but is the cutting edge of nearly all science and engineering. Materials engineering. It’s new materials which have been the real driver of innovation for a long time now, and some of those materials are so amazing that it’s a tragedy the field isn’t better known. I worked on superconductors, which are a bit known (materials with no resistance, so you can conduct electricity without loss of energy). Here’s another superstar modern material. Metallic glass. Stronger than metal, but elastic like rubber. Beyond cool, I reckon. You’ll probably see it on your phone one day where it will allow you to drop it on the ground and it’ll bounce right back to you, without breaking the screen. Great little vid too, explaining it, entertaining.