Graham Lau, Research Investigator with Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, joins Builder Nation’s Podcast host Elisa Muñoz to share his thoughts on space exploration and its potential benefits to humanity: “There’s so much that we get from space. It’s not just the investment that we get in business and the return financially. There’s so much that we get from material science, biological science, medicine and technology as well.” Graham Lau, PhD What is Builder Nation? A community of engineering […]

By Angela Murphy It is believed that John Colter, former member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was one of the first European explorers to set foot in the area we now know as Yellowstone. One can only imagine the surprise Colter or other early explorers felt upon entering this strange landscape for the first time. After arriving home, these explorers would eagerly tell friends and family stories of “boiling rivers,” “spouting waterfalls,” and  “noxious steam,” stories which, unfortunately, were […]

by Bimal Chopra Polymers are very diverse and their applications are even more diversified in today’s world. Polymers are not just limited to plastics, they also include and can be seen in paints, coatings, adhesives, the rubber industry, textiles, the packaging industry, the medical industry, and more. There are many other fields where we can find them such as the electronic industry — they aren’t very good at conducting electricity, but their contribution in the field of semiconductors has been […]

by Shagun Kothari Scientists in the early 20th century were rather dubious about the idea that molecules existed within the vacuum of space, free from being bound to stars or planets. This could be ascribed to the fact that they were able to rationalize how any molecules in space would be destroyed but not necessarily how they were formed. However, with advancements in astronomical facilities and laboratory spectroscopy, simple molecular species, carbon chains, complex organic molecules (COMs), fullerenes, and polycyclic […]

by Berfin Dağ (written as part of the completion of the BMSIS Young Scientist Program) Regardless of our motivation, we must consider the ethical implications of going and settling on Mars before too many resources and people put into this effort. The mission will undoubtedly be extremely dangerous, like living on Mars. We do not yet know what the long-term effects of living on Mars, low gravity, exposure to high radiation, and living in a confined space with a small […]