ASM 100th Anniversary Video

Not a ton of material science content here, just a bit of background about ASM, the former American Society of Metals. (Now they're ASM like how Kentucky Fried Chicken was just KFC for a while.)

I'll admit that I don't use ASM in the same way that most of the ASM members do. I have a few of their reference book on my shelves at school, but they're not things I refer to with any regularity at all. I'm not looking for the detailed, professional, industrial knowledge that most of their members are. Instead, I'm thrilled to be a part of the ASM Materials Education Foundation, the branch that looks to share out its knowledge with K-12 students and teachers.

But that branch wouldn't exist without ASM International.

I'm a little late in posting this 100th anniversary video from 2013, but I'm game for a reason to eat cake even if I'm late to the party.

Monoclinic Sulfur demonstration

It's always fascinating to me to see video from a summer teacher camp that I am not running because I only, really know how my camps run.

I know my jokes, my patter, my schtick, my bits. I don't know how most other folks run camp - a few of them, admittedly, but not many (Rebecca Heckman, Caryn Jackson, David McGibney, Debbie Goodwin, Andy Nydam, Cynthia Hummel, Brian Wright - thanks to all of you, by the way).

Above, we see Priscilla Oshikiri and Justin Sickles (Priscilla is in the purple, by the way) performing the sulfur demonstration - at least the monoclinic part. The amorphous part is below.

I'm always open to sharing videos from our camps. If you happen to have any to share, please link to them.

Cave of Crystals | 100 Wonders | Atlas Obscura

Yes, there is are a couple of hour-long videos about Naica cave, but sometimes we just don't have an hour to devote to that world's largest monocrystaline growths.

That's kind of why a video like this one - just under 3 minutes long - can be nice. It's a quick exploration of the Naica crystal cave, drained and being explored as of the time of these photos (no video, just stills).

I'd been hearing for a while that the caves 'were going to be refilled', but I just found - in a quick research bit - that the BBC reported in 2014...

In her discussion with reporters [Dr Penelope Boston] lamented the fact that the crystal complex had become flooded following the recent cessation of mining activities, preventing any further access. 

"It is tear inducingly beautiful down there. I wrote several poems about it actually.

What is Materials Science and Engineering?

Dude, we're shooting here.

At 1:34, some guy starts to walk into the shot on the far left edge.

I don't know why, but that bothered me. I feel like they could have re-shot that clip easily enough.

And at 2:30, what purpose is being served by melting that penny?

The video is, admittedly, an advertisement for Iowa State's MS&E program, but it's a nice, general introduction to what material science students study at university.