Science at the Sabha 2018

Is toothpaste a solid or a liquid? It doesn't flow unless we squeeze the tube but flows readily after that. I will describe some soft and squishy materials that we encounter in daily life and how such materials can be combined with harder ones. These combinations result in unusual composites. For example, the sea shells that protect soft-shelled aquatic animals are hard and yet they don't break easily, unlike glass which is hard but shatters readily. We are just beginning to learn how nature builds these amazing materials and to apply this knowledge to synthesize technologically useful composite materials.