[Image above] In this screenshot from the first-place winning entry in the 2023 Crystal Clear Science video competition, TU Darmstadt student Rishabh Kundu, left, explains to fellow student Margarida Barroso how moving from a conventional furnace to a microwave furnace can reduce electricity consumption. Credit: Margarida Barroso, YouTube
Journal papers are an integral part of the research ecosystem, providing a trustworthy outlet for scientists to share findings and results with others in their community.
However, for research to achieve greater societal impact, scientists must harness other forms of media, such as press releases and interviews, to share their results more broadly. These outlets help scientists gain support and funding from vested interests, which allows them to translate their research into commercial products.
Short films can be an especially compelling method for disseminating research, as they provide visuals to clarify difficult-to-decipher technical descriptions. Learning how to create an effective short film, however, takes practice, which is why the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation’s (CGIF) new Crystal Clear Science video competition is such a great opportunity for students.
The Crystal Clear Science video competition invites undergraduate and graduate students to create a short 2- to 3-minute video that showcases a fun or interesting scientific or artistic concept behind ceramic or glass materials. While submissions should be geared toward the general public, applicants have creative freedom over the nature of the video.
The first-ever Crystal Clear Science video competition was open for submissions during the summer of 2023, and winners were announced at ACerS Annual Meeting at MS&T during the first week of October. The CGIF’s Communications Committee selected three submissions, featured below, to receive the top prizes.
TU Darmstadt students Rishabh Kundu and Margarida Barroso, this year’s first-place awardees, gave thanks on LinkedIn here and here for receiving this award.
“Many thanks again to everyone who supported us. We also extend our sincere gratitude to the organizers for recognizing our efforts and providing a platform to celebrate the beauty of ceramics!” wrote Kundu.
First place: “Green ceramic recycling”
By Rishabh Kundu and Margarida Barroso (TU Darmstadt, Germany)
The high hardness and melting points of ceramics complicates the recycling of these materials. Chemical recycling routes are one possibility, but the development of these methods is still in the early stages. This video describes one chemical recycling process and discusses how to account for environmental impacts when maturing these technologies.
Second place: “Cold casting”
By Luis Cuadros, Jose Challco, and Leonardo Cruz (National University of Engineering, Peru)
Cold casting is a simple technique to create objects out of metal powder and resin that give the appearance of solid metal. This technique can also be used with ceramics, such as porcelain and limestone. This video shows the step-by-step creation of a ceramic vase and the university’s insignia.
Third place: “Does stained glass of cathedral windows flow?”
By Ricardo Lancelotti and Jacob Lovi
There is a widespread urban legend that some stained-glass windows are thicker at the bottom than at the top because the glass slowly flowed throughout the centuries. This video describes the phenomenon of glass flow and why it is not the reason for variations in stained-glass window thickness.
