Topic: elasticity

Neil Withers and Rebecca Trager discuss concerns about US research funding and the molecular basis of wool’s useful properties. The episode connects the chemical structure of the fibre with its flame resistance, elasticity and moisture absorption, and considers why these properties matter for textile choices and sustainability.

Diversity in the natural world emerges from the collective behavior of large numbers of interacting objects. Statistical physics provides the framework relating microscopic to macroscopic properties. A fundamental assumption underlying this approach is that we have complete knowledge of the interactions between the microscopic entities. But what if that, even though possible in principle becomes impossible in practice ? Can we still construct a framework for describing their collective behavior ? Dense suspensions and granular materials are two often quoted examples where we face this challeng