Science Friction - How surface interactions shaped the world

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The Royal Society Te Apārangi and its Wellington Branch will host a special lecture from Dr. Laurie Winkless. We hope that you will attend and contribute to the discussion afterward. Please come along. Full details of the lecture are given below..

Abstract

We are surrounded by stickiness. From the bike tyre that grips the road and the Post-it note that’s become an office mainstay, to your non-stick frying pan, and the ice that transforms waterways each winter. All of these things are controlled by tiny forces that operate on and between surfaces, with friction playing the leading role.

In this talk, Laurie will explore the role of friction in both the manufactured and natural worlds. She will describe how our understanding of surface science, and our ability to manipulate stickiness, have developed throughout history, transforming the world around us.

If you’ve ever wondered how the ancient Egyptians could move colossal stone blocks, or why earthquakes happen, you might find the answers here. This talk is inspired by Laurie’s book, Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces

Biography

Laurie Winkless is an Irish physicist-turned-science journalist, who has been communicating science to the public for more than 15 years. After her postgrad, she joined the UK’s National Physical Laboratory as a research scientist, specialising in functional materials.

Since leaving the lab, she has worked with scientific institutes, engineering companies, universities, and other organisations all over the world, helping them to tell better stories about their research. Her work has featured in outlets including Forbes, Wired, IEEE Spectrum, BBC Focus, Radio New Zealand, and Esquire.

Laurie has had two books published internationally by Bloomsbury. Her first was Science and the City. Her second, Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces, was a finalist for the AAAS/Subaru YA prize for excellence in science books, and was translated into four languages.

www.lauriewinkless.com