Materials play a central role in society. Beyond the physical and chemical properties of materials, their cultural properties have often been overlooked in anthropological studies: finished products have been perceived as ‘social’ yet the materials which comprise them are considered ‘raw’ or natural’. The Social Life of Materials proposes a new perspective in this interdisciplinary field. Diverting attention from the consumption of objects, the book looks towards the properties of materials and how these exist through many transformations in a variety of cultural contexts.Human societies have always worked with materials. However, the customs and traditions surrounding this differ according to the place, the time and the material itself. Whether or not the material is man-made, materials are defined by social intervention. Today, these constitute one of the most exciting areas of global scientific research and innovation, harboring the potential to act as key vehicles of change in the world. But this ‘materials revolution’ has complex social implications. Smart materials are designed to anticipate our actions and needs, yet we are increasingly unable to apprehend the composite materials which comprise new products.Bringing together ethnographic studies of cultures from around the world, this collection explores the significance of materials by moving beyond questions of what may be created from them. Instead, the text argues that the materials themselves represent a shifting ground around which relationships, identities and powers are constantly formed and dissolved in the act of making and remaking.

This textbook supports the Impact of Materials on Society course and teaching materials, developed with the Materials Research Society. The textbook, which is freely available online (https: //ufl.pb.unizin.org/imos/) and for purchase in print-on-demand format, offers an exploration into materials and the relationship with technologies and social structures. The textbook was developed by an interdisciplinary team from Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences, including anthropologists, sociologists, historians, media studies experts, Classicists, and more. Chapters include coverage of clay, ceramics, concrete, copper and bronze, gold and silver, steel, aluminum, polymers, and writing materials. Supplemental materials, including lecture slides, assignments, and exams, may be accessed in a companion volume: https: //ufl.pb.unizin.org/imosinstructorguide

This book provides a self-contained undergraduate course on quantum computing based on classroom-tested lecture notes. It reviews the fundamentals of quantum mechanics from the double-slit experiment to entanglement, before progressing to the basics of qubits, quantum gates, quantum circuits, quantum key distribution, and some of the famous quantum algorithms. As well as covering quantum gates in depth, it also describes promising platforms for their physical implementation, along with error correction, and topological quantum computing. With quantum computing expanding rapidly in the private sector, understanding quantum computing has never been so important for graduates entering the workplace or PhD programs. Assuming minimal background knowledge, this book is highly accessible, with rigorous step-by-step explanations of the principles behind quantum computation, further reading, and end-of-chapter exercises, ensuring that undergraduate students in physics and engineering emerge well prepared for the future.

This resource volume, written especially for teachers of introductory chemistry courses, is in a ready-to-use format that will enable instructors to integrate materials chemistry into their curriculum. The book collects a critical mass of text, demonstrations, and laboratory experiments. The first ten chapters present a general introduction to solids; numerous easy-to-do teacher demonstrations are integrated into the material. The second part of the volume consists of fifteen laboratory experiments for students. Examples from cutting-edge research, as well as everyday life, spark student interest while illustrating the basic ideas that are important to an understanding of chemistry.

Conservation techniques for the analysis and preservation of heritage materials are constantly progressing. Building on the first edition of Conservation Science, this new edition incorporates analytical techniques and data processing methods that have emerged in the past decade and presents them alongside notable case studies for each class of material. An introductory chapter on analytical techniques provides a succinct overview to bring the reader up-to-speed with which type of material each technique is suitable for, the differing sampling techniques that can be employed, and the handling and processing of the resultant data. Subsequent chapters go on to cover all common heritage materials in turn, from natural substances such as wood and stone to modern plastics, detailing the up-to-date techniques for their analysis. With contributions by scientists working in the museum and heritage sector, this textbook will interest students, scientists involved in conservation, and conservators who want to develop their understanding of their collections at a material level.

From the nanoscale to the macroscopic scale, intelligent materials are triggering a response across both dimensions and scientific disciplines... World class, leading experts in the fields of chemistry, physics and engineering have contributed to Intelligent Materials, highlighting the importance of smart material science in the 21st century. In this exceptional text the expertise of specialists across the globe is drawn upon to present a truly interdisciplinary outline of the topic. Covering both a bottom-up chemical, and top-down engineering approach to the design of intelligent materials the Editors of the book are bridging a vital gap between various scientific authorities. The influence of current research in this field on future technology is undisputed and potential applications of intelligent materials span nanoscience, nano technology, medicine, engineering, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and many other industries. This is an authoritative introduction to the most recent developments in the area, which will provide the reader with a better understanding of the almost unlimited opportunities in the progress and design of new intelligent materials. An indispensable reference for anyone contemplating working in the field! Comments on this book... "This will be the starting point for all researchers looking for industrial solutions involving smart materials. Congratulations to the Editors for providing such a vast and interdisciplinary book." P.-G de Gennes, France Prix Nobel de Physic 1991

A collection of essays that examine early American cultural, political, and social history through a material lens, exploring the meanings of objects ranging from artworks and domestic furnishings to Penn's Treaty Tree.