Want to learn about transparent woods and other cool materials?

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#1

Do you want to learn about some of the most cutting edge materials and get a chance to play with them hands on? I can totally arrange that.

Basically I’m a PHD student and I need people to be part of test. My test is can we improve how people learn about radically innovative materials? To take part you have to be okay with taking part in a workshop assessing new or underused materials. These vary from really exotic smart materials like Phase Change Fabric’s (http://www.materialintuition.com/2016/03/phase-change-fabric/ ) to more conventional but still awesome woods like Luminoso a wood with fibre optic’s embedded (http://www.materialintuition.com/2016/03/luminoso/) These workshops main goal is to ensure they are understandable to all so you do not need any special knowledge to take part.

As for who I am I’m a designer who now worries a lot about material science. As for my professional background I work on an EU project with the Institute of Making and Material Connexion the largest international material library and working with them I’ve provided international workshops so I like to at least think I know what I’m doing.

Is this the kind of thing people at the makerspace would be interested in?

1 Like
#2

Yes that sounds like fun

#3

Hi James.

Fascinating stuff…

Is this a workshop you’d want to run at the Makerspace?

#4

Hi Dermot yeah I’d love to, I visited a couple of weeks ago and thought that it would the kind of space that would benefit from this work. Also just now spotted your invite to the Arduino workshop, I couldn’t come but maybe I can arrange some other time.

I don’t know how you organise these things but I’ve got at least enough materials for a couple of workshops if people would be interested.

#5

As the Makerspace is owned and run for and by its members, events need to get a reasonable level of approval from the membership before getting the goahead. This is not a scientific method, but consists of there being a ‘good’ positive response, and little negative response, then the Trustees/events people giving it a final nod.

The approach so far is:

  • put up a brief description of what you propose. What you’ve already posted with outlines of how long it might be, how many people would it involve, what facilities you’d need…just general stuff.

  • see what the response is

  • if the response is good, then we’ll look at finding a date.

As it sounds like it’s part of your PhD , you might want to think of what’s in it for the people taking part? Personally getting to play around with unusual materials is probably enough for a workshop lasting a few hours.

The events team is @JackieO @tobyspark and myself. We can be reached collectively at @events

#6

I’m definitely up for experimenting with new materials!

#7

I’d be up for that!

#8

Up for it as well

#9

Me too!

#10

Sounds good to me too

#11

Sounds great, i’d love to take part in it!

#12

For everyone showing an interest I’ve now put up a proposed workshop on the events board.

2 Likes
#13

Sounds Fab! I’m interested.