Education

Time for removal: A review of erbium laser-assisted ceramic debonding for dental restorations and appliances

By Lisa McDonald / November 18, 2022

Methods that conserve or semi-conserve a dental restoration during removal often risk harming the underlying tooth. Researchers in the U.S. and Poland reviewed the current literature on erbium laser-assisted ceramic debonding to identify the parameters needed for safe application of this method.

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Ceramics and glass in space, plus more inside December 2022 ACerS Bulletin

By Lisa McDonald / November 17, 2022

The December 2022 issue of the ACerS Bulletin—featuring an overview of ceramics and glass used in space travel and exploration—is now available online. Plus—new C&GM and ceramicSOURCE 2023.

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Video: Reimagining of ‘Ballet des Porcelaines’ probes the complex cultural work behind the making of porcelain

By Lisa McDonald / November 16, 2022

When art historian Meredith Martin was introduced to an 18th-century ballet that allegorically depicts Europe’s pursuit of porcelain, she knew pursuing a historically accurate reconstruction of the ballet would risk reinforcing harmful racial stereotypes and exoticization of Asian cultures. Instead, she and choreographer Phil Chan conceived of a restaging that would center Asian American experience within this history.

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Video: From waste to watercolors—Colorado artist turns food scraps into paint

By Lisa McDonald / November 2, 2022

With a little bit of science knowledge, artists can learn to make paints and glazes at home quite easily and for far less cost. A Colorado artist is working to educate others on how she creates environmentally friendly watercolor paints from foraged plants and food waste.

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Video: Sweeten your knowledge of materials science this Halloween by making your own candy glass

By Lisa McDonald / October 26, 2022

Looking to weave some science learning into your Halloween activities? Making candy glasses like cotton candy and lollipops can provide insights into common glass processing methods and material properties. Learn how to make your own candy glass through the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation’s new Glass Science Kit!

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Video: Shallow-water mining is not the answer to deep-sea mining

By Lisa McDonald / October 19, 2022

Because of the environmental and economic concerns associated with mining mineral deposits on the deep seabed, some companies and countries are considering shallow-water mining instead. A recent open-access paper raises concerns about viewing shallow-water mining as an eco-alternative to deep-sea mining.

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Video: James Madison’s glass flute graces the stage at Lizzo concert

By Lisa McDonald / October 5, 2022

With more than 100 million items in the Library of Congress collections, it can be difficult for Library staff to showcase all the wonderful items in storage and educate the public on their importance. Last week, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden realized the perfect opportunity to highlight one very special item—a glass flute gifted to U.S. president James Madison—through a collaboration with pop megastar and classically trained flutist Lizzo.

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Kicking cancer to the curb: A review of ceramics and glasses for cancer diagnosis and therapy

By Lisa McDonald / October 4, 2022

To enable effective cancer detection and treatment, ceramic and glass biomaterials have been heavily investigated. A recent review paper provides an overview of the main ceramics and glasses being explored for this purpose.

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Video: Approval of industrial seafloor mining trial elicits scrutiny from marine scientists and journalists

By Lisa McDonald / September 14, 2022

On Sept. 7, 2022, Canadian mining startup The Metals Company announced the International Seabed Authority greenlit their plan to conduct an industrial seafloor mining trial to extract polymetallic nodules. While marine scientists are concerned about the environmental effects of deep-sea mining in general, an investigative report by The New York Times questions the choice of The Metals Company to conduct this trial.

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OSTP public access policy memo stirs the scholarly publishing world

By Lisa McDonald / September 13, 2022

On Aug. 25, 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released new policy guidance recommending that publications and their supporting data resulting from federally funded research be made immediately free and accessible to the public without an embargo period starting Jan. 1, 2026. To better contextualize this decision and the response by scholarly publishers, this CTT provides a brief history of the evolution of scholarly publishing and the push for open access.

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