August 2020
Facebook ‌ Twitter ‌ YouTube ‌
Why shaving dulls even the sharpest of razors
Razors, scalpels, and knives are commonly made from stainless steel, honed to a razor-sharp edge and coated with even harder materials such as diamond-like carbon. However, knives require regular sharpening, while razors are routinely replaced after cutting materials far softer than the blades themselves.
Nuh Gedik and Pablo Jarillo-Herrero are 2020 Moore Experimental Investigators in Quantum Materials
Physics professors Nuh Gedik and Pablo Jarillo-Herrero have been named Experimental Investigators in Quantum Materials by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The two are among 20 winners nationwide of the foundation's Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Systems (EPiQS) Initiative. Each will receive a five-year, $1.6 million unrestricted grant to support their research in quantum materials.
Professor Juejun Hu wins 2020 Vittorio Gottardi prize
The International Commission on Glass (ICG )has selected Professor Juejun Hu to win the 2020 Vittorio Gottardi prize. Initiated in 1987 in memory of Professor V. Gottardi, the prize is awarded annually to young people with outstanding achievements in the field of glass in research and development, teaching, writing, management or commerce.
A fix for foulants
When clogs and corrosion threaten residential water and heating systems, homeowners can simply call a plumber to snake a drain or replace a pipe. Operators of nuclear power plants aren’t nearly so lucky. Metallic oxide particles, collectively known as CRUD in the nuclear energy world, build up directly on reactor fuel rods, impeding the plant’s ability to generate heat. These foulants cost the nuclear energy industry millions of dollars annually.
In Other News
Event Calendar
Join the MRL Collegium
We invite your company to become a member of the MRL Industry Collegium. As a member, your company will receive:
  • premium access to member only briefing materials and information via our website
  • periodic publications and research activity highlights
  • invitations to workshops, conferences and symposia
  • support for research staff visits on-campus
  • facilitation of corporate meetings and events
  • customized interactions with MIT students
To join the collegium contact:

Mark Beals
Associate Director, MRL
617-253-2129
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-5179