What is the science behind everyday materials like glass, plastic, steel and sugar? And how to make a chocolate trumpet? Find out with Anna's demo-rich presentation.

Buy Anna's book "Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning through Making" here: https://geni.us/zBfFqX
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Join Anna Ploszajski to learn about materials science – the interdisciplinary field of materials research and discovery – in ways you never imagined in the world of crafts.

As a materials scientist, Anna turned to storytelling to communicate her work in new and engaging ways. Through its stories and demos, you'll see materials in a whole new way.

This conference was recorded at Ri on May 9, 2023.

Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Anna Ploszajski is an award-winning materials scientist, presenter, comedian and storyteller based in London. She is a materials generalist, equally fascinated by metals, plastics, ceramics, glass and substances from the natural world. His work involves engaging traditionally underserved audiences in materials science and engineering through writing, podcasting, presenting, and social media. Having developed her own unique blend of autobiographical scientific storytelling in her first book, Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning Through Making, she now trains professional technicians to communicate what they do best, through the study of history. In her spare time, Anna plays trumpet in a funk and soul cover band and is an ultra-endurance open water swimmer. Oh, and it's pronounced "Por-shy-ski."

We thank the Royal Academy of Engineering for their generous support in making tickets to this event free for schools across London.

00:00 Introduction
4:59 What is materials science and how does it relate to manufacturing?
11:25 a.m. Introduction to glass
3:00 p.m. What is the science behind glassblowing? (demo)
19:27 The optical properties of glass
24:34 Introduction to plastic – and Grandpa George
37:38 Problems with plastic recycling
40:57 Steel – and break the land speed record
47:29 What happens when you freeze Snickers? (demo)
49:07 Why do fragile materials break?
53:03 Forge (demo)
57:56 Introduction to brass instruments
59:20 How harmonics work
1:03:21 Demonstration of the Rubens tube
1:06:59 How the trumpet evolved
1:13:59 What can you make a trumpet with?
1:17:10 Introduction to sugar molecules
1:20:20 Why sugar burns
1:24:09 What sugar crystals look like
1:26:53 Conclusion

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