Media Watch
Newly designed space blanket was inspired by the skin of squid
Earth -
Engineers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have created a space blanket that mimics the adaptive skin of some sea creatures. Unlike similar materials already available on the market, the temperature of the new blanket can be adjusted. Study co-author Alon Gorodetsky is an associate professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at UCI.
A dynamic thermoregulatory material inspired by squid skin
Nature -
[UCI Professor] Alon Gorodetsky and others write, “Effective thermal management is critical for the operation of many modern technologies, such as electronic circuits, smart clothing, and building environment control systems. By leveraging the static infrared-reflecting design of the space blanket and drawing inspiration from the dynamic color-changing ability of squid skin, we have developed a composite material with tunable thermoregulatory properties.”
Squid skin inspires creation of next-generation space blanket
PhysOrg -
"Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for decades - you see marathon runners wrapping themselves in them to prevent the loss of body heat after a race - but the key drawback is that the material is static," said co-author Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical & biomolecular engineering. "We've made a version with changeable properties so you can regulate how much heat is trapped or released."
The real renewable energy storage solution
Los Angeles Daily News -
Jack Brouwer is the director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at UC Irvine writes, “Right here at UC Irvine, we’re doing a little science experiment that could make a big difference for countries around the globe as they look for ways to replace fossil fuels and stop climate change. This experiment is focused on how to store extra solar energy.” [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.]
"Empower Them To Succeed." A Female Alumnus Looks to Close the Engineering Gender Gap
Inside Philanthropy -
She [Stacy Nicholas] is the founder of the Irvine-based Opus Foundation, which supports STEM education outreach and the arts. This is her second major gift to a University of California campus, following a 2014 gift to UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering to fund scholarships and graduate fellowships, support outreach programs, and endow its deanship.
OC Insider
Orange County Business Journal -
Readers fascinated with the super-small semiconductors made by the Irvine tech firms featured in this week’s issue would do well to look at the work of H. Kumar Wickramasinghe, UCI Distinguished Professor and holder of the Nicolaos G. & Sue Curtis Alexopoulos Presidential Chair for Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.]
Why it's so hard to give up ridesharing
CNN -
Ride-hailing is not only for the young. An analysis of data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey found that highly educated, affluent seniors in urban areas were among those who were more likely to be adopters of ride-hailing services. Often, these adults must give up their licenses, especially if they have a medical condition, said Suman Kumar Mitra, an assistant project scientist at the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Irvine. … Safety is a concern for this population, too, he said. But he surmises that the benefits of the services outweigh the safety concerns. "It gives them the freedom to go anywhere any place at any time," he said.
New “Metallic Wood” Could Lead to Super-Light Cars
Futurism -
Timothy J. Rupert, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at University of California, Irvine, who wasn’t involved in the research, also sees potential uses for the metallic wood in transportation. “One could imagine making a car with the same safety standards used today but a much, much lighter weight,” Rupert told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “This would have huge implications for energy efficiency.”
UCI Engineers Aim to Pioneer Tissue-engineering Approach to TMJ Disorders
Sleep Review -
“The TMJ is central to chewing, talking, and so many other daily activities, so when this crucial joint is impaired, there are significant negative effects on quality of life,” says Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, distinguished professor of biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine, in a release. “The problem may start with slight pain and clicking and get progressively worse to the point where it’s not just impacting the jaw but the entire body.”
UCI Now Developing Bioengineered TMJ Implants
Dentistry Today -
Noting that synthetic materials and other approaches have proved ineffective, researchers at the University of California Irvine (UCI) are developing biological temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs that will be suitable for implantation in human beings. “The TMJ is central to chewing, talking, and so many other daily activities. So when this crucial joint is impaired, there are significant negative effects on quality of life,” said Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, PhD, PhM, MS, distinguished professor of biomedical engineering.