Background: A bar magnet has two poles, denoted as +1 and -1 magnetic charges. Patterned structuresconsist of many magnets (Fig. 1), where the square array (Fig. 1a) does not, whereas the honeycomb (Fig. 1b) has, net magnetic charges (or magnetic monopoles). Under a magnetic field these local
A novel category of hydrogel material has been developed (Hawker, Kramer)that form spontaneously in water through complexation of polyelectrolyte endblocks of PEG-based triblock polyelectrolytes—inspired by Waite’s mussel adhesion stud
Special types of plastic gels that can be induced chemically to undergo self-oscillating changes in shape and color have been known for many years.
The continued evolution of portable electronic devices and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) requires multi-functional microscale energy sources that have high po
Semiconductor
The New England Workshop on the Mechanics of Materials and Structures, NEW.Mech, was held at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA on September 25th, 2010. NEW.Mech was a one-day workshop that brought together the New England Mechanics community with an interest in exploring new directions on the Mechanics of Soft
Soft robotics, wearable computing, and mechanically adaptive structures will lead to revolutionary tools for exploration, disaster relief, personal electronics, and assistive medicine. Progress demands innovative solutions to current challenges: electronic skin for tactile sensing, and soft, hyperelastic circuits for stretchable computing.
Water soluble polymers, once reserved for commodity applications (i.e., shaving cream, emulsification processes, etc.) have emerged as valuable materials for medicine. Combining synthetic polymers with therapeutic proteins and cancer drugs improves the “therapeutic index” of the drugs, preventing their fast
