Miegunyah Lecture: The Materials Revolution
Wed 22 Jul 09 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Location: Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre A, The University of Melbourne
Presented by Leonard C. Feldman, Miegunyah Fellow, University of Melbourne and Professor, Department Physics and Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers the State University and Vanderbilt University
Admission is FREE but please arrive early to secure a seat for this popular event.
Car parking is available at the University after 4.30pm at a cost of $5
Modern materials research includes engineering with atoms, the molecule-by-molecule attack of a cancer growth, collecting the sun's energy with nanocrystals, exploiting the quantum world for computing, defining a stem cell by mechanical deformation and bringing the quantum world to the human experience in an ultra-small solid!
Materials science is the prime example of interdisciplinary research at its best. Extraordinary accomplishments range from Nobel prizes in chemistry and physics to society-changing applications. These accomplishments are underpinned by the technology revolution that brought us to this point in time, and will drive societal changes for the foreseeable future. Currently, the forefront of materials science is at the nano-scale. The nanometer, about four atoms long, exploits the progress of the last century in understanding the atom, and the collection of atoms that constitute a solid. Advances in nano-scale materials are envisioned as the solution to some of the dominant technological problems facing our world---conservation of energy and environment, water purification and propagating the information revolution. This talk highlights research directed to these advances, including new results in organic electronics, nano-scale desalination and the sophisticated control of materials interfaces for efficient energy use. But, as in all research, it is the future serendipitous discoveries of creative young scientists at well-prepared institutions that will extend the revolution to new ways of thinking and breath-taking new technologies.
Professor Feldman has played a major role in modern materials science, with a particular emphasis on thin films and thin film analysis, often connected to semiconductor science and semiconductor technology. He is the author/co-author of over 380 papers, four texts on the subject, 21 patents and is one of the most highly cited scientists within the field. He is well- known for his scientific abilities and creativity, and his facility at communication of science and technology. These attributes were recognized by the American Physical Society in 1999 by the awarding of the David Adler Lectureship prize. In his career he has been associated with three different institutions; Bell Laboratories, Vanderbilt University and Rutgers University. In each case Feldman has played a key role in creative science and scientific/technology management.