Blog (July 2011)
28-7-11
Performativity of Matter at the Barbican this Saturday
The Institute of Making's Creative Director, Zoe Laughlin, will be presenting the Performativity of Matter at the Barbican this Saturday 25 July at 2pm. More
28-7-11
Wonderstuff on BBC4
In case you missed Mark Miodownik, the Institute of Making's Research Director, on BBC4's Wonderstuff last Monday 25 July, you can catch him for the next five Mondays at 7:30pm (GMT) as he provides some insight into the wondrous things our every day items are made of. More
27-7-11
Copper Slag and Malchite Ore
We're very excited to include these two new items to our collection: copper slag and malchite ore from the oldest known copper mine. The mine is located in the Negev Desert in Isreal and dates back to 3000BC. More
25-7-11
Phil’s Findings #10: Metal
Metals have been central to the development of our civilisation. This is evident in our naming of key times in history, such as the Bronze and Iron Ages. Over time, our understanding of metallurgy and our ability to manipulate metals improved, giving rise to one of the most iconic structural materials man has ever made: steel. More
19-7-11
Use spoon, taste better
The Institute of Making's Director of Making, Martin Conreen, caught this priceless photo during a recent trip to Signapore. Given the Institute's research focus on the sensoaesthetic quality of materials - including the taste of spoons - and the recent publication in Food, Quality in Preference, seems a fitting new team motto: "Use spoon, taste better". More
18-7-11
Phil’s Findings #9: Wood
We humans have quite a strange relationship with wood. On the one hand, we use it as a strong and durable construction material, and indeed it has been heavily relied on ever since the earliest of civilisations tried their hands at construction. On the other hand, wood is used as a disposable fuel source, unleashing the energy which it captures from the sun during its growth. The result is that we see wood as simultaneously being something that can be strong and long lasting, and short lived and disposable. More
11-7-11
Phil’s Finding’s #8: The Sensoaesthetic Side of Materials
What can materials science tell us about the aesthetic and emotional side of materials? Upon first consideration it may seem that a hard scientific discipline may not shed too much light on the softer side of materials. However, upon closer inspection it becomes obvious that the way we interact with and the emotion we feel from all materials is rooted in their fundamental physical properties. More
05-7-11
Institute of Making paper on the taste of materials published
The Institute of Making’s study of the taste of metallic materials has now been published in Food, Quality and Preference’s October 2011 issue. More
04-7-11
Phil’s Findings #7: Human Haptics
The study of human haptics is an exciting and rapidly evolving field. It has the potential to revolutionise the way in which we interact with our everyday environment, and with each other. Furthermore, haptic devices are already making an impact on how we interact with some technologies. More