Let's get physical!

What links a hangover cure, the paint on a car, your DNA, the great pacific garbage patch and saving elephants? Polymers, of course! For millions of years, polymer chains have been designing the world we see around us - our fundamental DNA structure, the fibers of the clothes we’re wearing, and the electronic devices we use every day. We’ll be exploring the “reactionary” polymeric materials which can adapt in response to the world around them to release medicines, capture pollutants, turn sunlight into electricity and heal themselves when damaged.

Have you ever looked at a plane going through the clouds? The molecules of water vapor will undulate, whirl, swirl even form vortices as the airplane wings move across them. These beautiful patterns are key to keeping the plane in the air! Can we control these to improve the plane performance? A bit less whirling here to increase the lift? No problem, Sir! Welcome to the area of active control! We designed a wing that can change its shape using NASA actuators. It will dance to the tune of The Nutcracker to show its abilities and one day aims to surpass Stascream, the lieutenant of Megatron.