If we were to send up a new interstellar item designed to convey information about humankind, what developments in material science have been made in the last 50 years that would change how much/what types of data we could store on it?

I am a current student enrolled in a materials engineering program in the U.S. However, I have always been interesting in international relations and would love to eventually work abroad on engineering-based projects through organizations like UN, WHO, WTO, etc. Is this possible to do with an engineering degree, particularly materials (considering a minor in global studies)? If so, what is the right way to go about it?

hey, what materials can you recommend for chemical engineering board exam preparation? Organic Chemistry as a Second Language by David Klein helped me in Organic Chemistry

im in my second year of electrical engineering in The Netherlands. next year im supposed to start my minor and internship. my dream is to work in R&D in renewable energy, be it working on batteries, solar, nuclear or hydro. im really interested in material science. how well can material knowledge in material science be applied in the energy sector as an electrical engineer? and would material science or mechanical engineering be a good choice for a minor?

I’m currently a high school senior applying to colleges, and I’m hoping to get some advice from people in the materials science field. My parents don’t know anyone who works in this industry, and my school counselor hasn’t been much help.
I’m certain that I want to work in materials science, but I’m unsure whether I should major in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) as an undergraduate or major in Mechanical Engineering and pursue a graduate degree in MSE later.

I’ve heard that an MSE degree can be less versatile than a Mechanical Engineering degree and might limit my career options. How true is this, especially if I’m already confident that I want to work with materials? Also, can you get good jobs in the field with just a bachelor’s degree in MSE, or is a graduate degree usually necessary to advance in the industry?

I'm working on a physics project about transparent solar panels. I have already found a conductive, transparent material (Indium tin oxide), and my original plan was to use the photoelectric effect to generate an electric potential with some diodes. However, I worry that it won't be enough and will either not generate much power or not generate any at all—so I have decided to look for some p-type and n-type materials that are transparent.

If they even exist, what are these materials, and how can I get my hands on them?

Hey everyone,

I recently graduated with a Physics degree, and finding a job has been pretty tough. So I've been spending my time working on something inspired by my undergraduate research.

For four years, I worked in a condensed matter physics lab studying rare-earth-free permanent magnets, mainly MnBi and MnAl. I was involved in both theoretical and experimental work, including sample preparation, VSM measurements, XRD, and data analysis.

One thing that always frustrated me was how much time we spent manually processing data, calculating magnetic properties, and generating plots.

So I started building ElementX, a tool using Python, FastAPI, and React to automate parts of that workflow. It handles magnetometry data, M-H and M-T plots, coercivity, remanence, XRD visualization, and organizing experimental results. It's still a work in progress, but building it has helped me combine my physics background with software engineering.

I'm curious how other researchers handle experimental data analysis. Do you mostly use Origin, MATLAB, Python, or custom software?What repetitive tasks in your lab would you love to automate?

I'd genuinely appreciate any feedback or suggestions on what I could improve or add.

​Hi all! I’m actively looking for full-time opportunities in Materials Science or Ceramic Engineering.

​I hold a B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering and an M.S. in Ceramic Engineering (both international degrees evaluated as U.S. equivalent by WES). I am ready and willing to relocate to any state for the right position.

​Please feel free to comment or send a DM if you have any leads, connections, or advice. Thanks!

Having crisis over my future as we all do. I want to go into materials science for undergrad, but through the past couple years of HS I think I've forgotten what i thought was was so cool about it to begin with. So, what is the coolest thing about learning materials science/engineering to you? could be anything. Might help me decide what to do with my life.

Thank you!

We are seeking a thermoplastic elastomer for direct overmolding onto a glass-fiber-reinforced nylon substrate. Our main requirements are strong adhesion without a separate adhesive or primer, and resistance to four specified lubricating greases over an operating temperature range of −40°C to +80°C.

Our application requirements are as follows:

1. Substrate and molding process

- Substrate: PA66/6 with 30% glass fiber reinforcement (PA66/6-GF30).

- The TPE is to be injection-overmolded directly onto the nylon component within the mold.

- No separate glue, adhesive layer, or primer is to be used.

- We require strong interfacial adhesion to the nylon, rather than retention solely through mechanical interlocking.

1. Grease exposure

The overmolded component must withstand contact with each of the following greases:

- BBZ — understood to be Shell Rhodina Grease BBZ.

- 585K Plus — understood to be FUCHS GLEITMO 585 K PLUS.

- “Krupp 41-141” — understood to refer to Klüberplex BEM 41-141; the exact identity is to be confirmed.

- “Mobil 460” — possibly Mobil SHC Grease 460 WT; the exact product designation is to be confirmed.

Please let us know what product data sheets, safety data sheets, or grease samples you would need to assess compatibility accurately.

The TPE should resist excessive swelling, softening, tackiness, cracking, and degradation during grease exposure. Most importantly, the TPE-to-nylon bond must remain strong after exposure, without peeling or delamination.

1. Operating temperature and other properties

- Required operating temperature range: −40°C to +80°C.

- No specific Shore hardness is currently required.

- We have no separate requirements for bending performance, sealing performance, or abrasion resistance.

- Hardness may therefore be selected to achieve the best combination of nylon adhesion, grease resistance, and reliable molding performance.

1. Material recommendatio

   Please recommend the most appropriate formulation for our application, including a customized formulation if necessary.

2. Technical information and validation

Please provide, where available:

- Recommended commercial grade names and current technical data sheets.

- Adhesion or peel-strength results on glass-filled PA66, PA6, or PA66/6, including substrate grades, specimen preparation, and molding conditions.

- Compatibility results for the four specified greases, or relevant supporting oil/grease resistance data, including exposure temperature and duration.

- Adhesion retention after grease exposure, together with swelling and hardness-change results.

- Low-temperature data supporting use at −40°C.

- Recommended drying conditions, melt temperature, mold temperature, nylon insert temperature, and other processing conditions needed for strong adhesion.

- Any restrictions concerning mold-release agents, nylon additives, moisture conditioning, or storage of nylon inserts before overmolding.

If grease-specific data are unavailable, please recommend a qualification program using our actual nylon and greases. We would particularly like to evaluate grease exposure at +80°C followed by adhesion testing and thermal cycling between −40°C and +80°C. Please advise appropriate test durations and

Hi! I'm interested in biomaterials and tissue engineering, and I was wondering if an undergrad degree in MSE with a minor in biochem would be worth it. I already know that I will likely have to go to grad school (I am okay with that) and am open to either working in research or industry afterwards. I know a BME degree might seem more applicable, but I have been cautioned against doing a BME undergrad. As an additional note, I am already in college. Any information would be greatly appreciated!