Education

Slip risk on ceramic floors: The need for a unified measurement standard

By Lisa McDonald / December 15, 2023

Currently there is no unified standard for classifying flooring materials based on their slip resistance. Researchers in Spain revealed the discrepancies between different slip tests and proposed several ways to standardize these methods to achieve more meaningful results.

Read More

Video: Glass ornaments sparkle for the holidays

By Guest Contributor / December 6, 2023

Glass ornaments have played a central role in holiday decorations for almost two centuries. Learn about this history and where to find glass ornaments for this year’s winter celebrations.

Read More

Ensuring future food supply: A review of silver-based nanoparticles to combat plant diseases

By Lisa McDonald / December 1, 2023

Agriculture and livestock management has relied largely on antimicrobial drugs to combat plant diseases, but this overreliance contributes to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Silver-based nanoparticles could serve as an alternative method to protect plants from pathogens, as discussed in a recent review paper.

Read More

Video: Empty Bowls project—fighting food insecurity through ceramics

By Lisa McDonald / November 22, 2023

Food insecurity remains at an elevated level due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Empty Bowls project provides a unique way to raise money for food banks by engaging the local arts community.

Read More

Video: Build your literacy on energy topics with Stanford’s new learning hub

By Lisa McDonald / November 15, 2023

Many people do not feel they can contribute knowledgeably to energy discussions due to the complex nature of this topic. Stanford University’s new Understand Energy Learning Hub aims to help the public build their energy literacy at their own pace.

Read More

Video: Chocolate pots—serving luxury in the 17th and 18th centuries

By Lisa McDonald / October 25, 2023

As chocolate became a fashionable beverage throughout Europe in the 17th century, it became big business to design and sell cookware specifically designed for preparing chocolate. Learn about the European chocolatière, or chocolate pot, in today’s CTT.

Read More

Video: Beckon in a fall of good fortune with Japanese maneki-neko

By Lisa McDonald / October 4, 2023

Many cultures have symbols or rituals that are widely viewed as lucky within that society. The maneki-neko, or Japanese “beckoning cat,” is one cultural symbol that has grown to be recognized almost universally as a figure of good luck. Learn about the history of maneki-neko and how to make one for yourself.

Read More

Video: Silica, a common food additive, may be chemically reactive

By Lisa McDonald / September 27, 2023

The increasing use of nanoparticles across all sectors has led to some concerns within the food industry, as nanoparticles do not necessarily behave the same way as their larger counterparts. A new study by Stanford University researchers showed that mesoporous silica, a common food additive, can react with key biomolecules, which could lead to increased oxidative stress in the body.

Read More

Ceramics and ceramists on the Manhattan Project: A narrative of activities at MIT

By Lisa McDonald / September 5, 2023

There are many hidden stories of the people who worked on the Manhattan Project, which resulted in the world’s first atomic bombs. In 1990, the late ACerS Fellows Osgood J. Whittemore and Louis R. McCreight published an article uncovering some of this history by describing research conducted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop refractory crucibles for nuclear metals processing.

Read More

Training the next generation of builders—first large-scale construction 3D printer in the Buckeye State arrives at OSU

By Guest Contributor / August 25, 2023

Further expanding the use of 3D printing in construction will require training the next generation of builders on these techniques. A new research partnership between The Ohio State University and 3D-printing construction company Pantheon Innovative Builders will help provide this training through use of COBOD International’s construction-grade BOD2 printer.

Read More