Arthur Epstein: Plastics, the Next Generation

“Plastics. Plastics.”  Dustin was onto something.

Actually, he should have said “Pearls. Pearls.”  Don’t know what a pearl is?  After Dr. Art Epstein’s lively talk, you’ll begin to grasp the chemistry of these identical molecules that make the molecular equivalent of a string of pearls.   Controlling the individual pearls has resulted in many of our structural functions in society, from plastic bags, to non breakable windows, to polyester clothing.

In recent decades scientists, including Dr. Epstein, have discovered ways to tweak the ‘pearls’ so the resulting chain of pearls is itself a magnet, a metal, or a semiconductor. What these new discoveries have in store for advanced technologies, including things like yes, even pharmaceuticals, will make you appreciate what plastics has in store for our future.

Click here for the Epstein Bio.

TEDxColumbus: Live Blog: Arthur Epstein: October 20, 2009

Arthur Epstein loves plastic. He believes in it. Epstein spoke about plastics and the new amazing science that is happening with polymers. He opened with a clip of “The Graduate,” with a young Dustin Hoffman being given advice from an older man. “One Word: Plastics.”

Epstein told us stories about his segue into the world of plastics via metals in graduate school.  He talked to us about the merging of plastics with technology, biomedical fields, physics, and chemistry. It is a new frontier for plastics as we learned about great advances in the medical field, including a new glucose sensor Epstein and his colleagues are creating.

I enjoyed hearing about how science is “being with people,” as Epstein says.

I liked hearing about his passionate work with plastics.