Welcome to the MSE Department's Contest Page! We all know that school can stress us out sometimes, so we thought it would be fun to alleviate some of that stress with a few contests.
Check out previous contests and contest winners!
MSE Contests & Fun
Take your best shot...
Who was the first person to earn a "materials" PhD from UW Madison?
A. Charles R. Van Hise
B. Governor Nelson E. Dewey
C. Bob LaFollette
D. Helen C. White
Did You Know?
The density of gold and platinum is almost twice that of lead, whose density = 11.34 gm/cm3. In most old western movies, and more recently in the George Clooney movie called Three Kings (1999), the “bad guys” are shown loading gold bars. This is a bit far-fetched because many of the bars at the sizes shown would weigh close to 80 or 90 lb. A saddlebag of these plus the rider would be too much for the horse, or a human, to carry. Most people don’t have the opportunity to actually lift a gold bar, so Hollywood perpetuates the myth.
source: http://machinedesign.com/article/materials-engineering-little-known-facts-about-precious-metals-0508
And you call yourself a materials scientist?
Professor Lakes dropped off an ingot of material in Lynn Neis's office (276 MSE). Can you identify it just using your senses and simple tools? Take and look! The first person to correctly identify the material gets a prize! email your answer to the department.
Tweets by @UWMadMSE
MSE Professors Mike Arnold and Max Lagally enjoying delicious Ice cream cones at the Union.
To learn more about MS&E, we highly recommend watching the PBS Nova Series “Making Stuff”. Several fascinating clips are embedded below:
Making Stuff Stronger – Steel
In the quest to find stronger materials, steel is a great place to start.
Watch Making Stuff: Stronger on PBS. See more from NOVA.
Making Stuff Smaller – Semiconductors
The race to make electronics smaller and more efficient relies on Materials Science.
Watch Making Stuff: Smaller on PBS. See more from NOVA.
Making Stuff Cleaner – Bioplastic
There are about 300 pounds of plastic in an average American car.
Watch Making Stuff: Cleaner on PBS. See more from NOVA.
Making Stuff Stronger – Kevlar
Kevlar is a polymer that has enough toughness to absorb the impact of a bullet. How?
Watch Making Stuff: Stronger on PBS. See more from NOVA.