Covert Operations: Science Hidden In Plain Sight

Every day we wash our hair, but what actually makes shampoo work? In this pint‑sized deep dive, we’ll explore how tiny soap‑like molecules lift oils, how polymers tame frizz and boost smoothness, and how a pinch of salt turns a runny liquid into thick, satisfying lather. We’ll bust common myths, unpack what labels really mean, and show how smart chemistry shapes slip, shine, and feel of hair - all jargon-free, just bubbles and curiosity.

We often say the world is chaotic, but what does chaos really mean? In science, it is not simply randomness or disorder. It describes systems that are hard to predict but follow clear rules. In this talk, I'll introduce a dynamical systems view of the world and chaos theory. I'll show how dynamical systems appear all around us, and how we can use the underlying theories to understand (and predict!) many aspects of daily life, like mixing coffee, weather, and romantic relationships. Dynamical systems help us describe how nature behaves, find patterns, and understand limits in our predictions.

Our material landscape is dominated by petrochemicals, but this wasn’t always the case. Arda's New Grain uses nature's building blocks to build a clean future. It is an animal and plastic-free leather alternative made of proteins extracted from beer brewing waste. We'll cover the materials landscape, from animal hide to PVC, plastic-based ‘vegan’ materials to mycelium & lab-grown leather, and how Arda's solution has all the ingredients for success. I'll discuss my journey from a petrochemical-soaked Masters and PhD in polymer chemistry to Arda's vision for a sustainable biomaterial future.