I am a Materials Girl

Category: Travel

Steamboat Springs

Year after year, for spring break, everyone in Florida always goes skiing. Up until this past week, I was not one of these people. My dad has skied a couple times in his life, but other than that, no one in my family has ever skied before. After some thorough research about the best beginner mountains, we booked a trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. For first time skiers, I highly recommend working with an instructor! We learned everything from pizza to french fries and I was confidently skiing blues by the end of the trip. I do not know if my entire family can say the same (they definitely preferred the greens). Skiing is all about letting the skis guide you on the snow, and this made me think about the actual science behind skis. Materials science truly exists everywhere and I will, without a doubt, return to the slopes again soon!

THe Science of the SKis

Skiing is as much science as it is skill. Skiing wouldn’t be the same without materials science—it’s what makes skis lighter, faster, and more durable. Most skis have a core made of wood or composites, which affects how they flex and respond on the slopes. The outer layers use materials like carbon fiber and fiberglass to keep them strong and light, while metal layers add stability for high-speed turns. Even the base of the ski is designed with special polymers to reduce friction and help you glide smoothly. With new materials and tech constantly being developed, skis are getting stronger, more efficient, and way more fun to ride. Ski clothing is also way more high-tech than it looks. Jackets and pants use waterproof but breathable materials like Gore-Tex to keep you dry without making you overheat. For warmth, some use synthetic insulation like Thinsulate (which still works even if it gets wet), while others use super lightweight down. Some next-level gear even has special materials that adjust to your body temp, so you don’t get too hot or too cold. Thanks to all these innovations, ski clothes keep getting better—lighter, warmer, and way more comfortable—so you can focus on shredding instead of freezing. Every part of skiing—from gear to the slopes—relies on materials science to improve performance, safety, and comfort. While there are definitely insane skiers out there, the science is just as important as their skill.

Works Cited

“The Science behind Skiing: From Innovations in Equipment to Modern Training Methods – FasterSkier.” Fasterskier.com, 2024, fasterskier.com/2024/07/the-science-behind-skiing-from-innovations-in-equipment-to-modern-training-methods/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

“The Science of Layering.” Flylow Gear, 5 Nov. 2021, flylowgear.com/blogs/news/the-science-of-layering-for-skiing?srsltid=AfmBOorSHQpxqIw_S18k4i-ktGl3jJki7c4ktArxS1zvdHhiEi5VN2EP. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

The Trip

We recently got back from another trip out west. We went all over the Canadian Rockies visiting places including Glacier National Park, Banff, Jasper, and Vancouver. The trip lasted about two weeks and the best part, by far, was definitely the white water rafting in Banff. We rafted on the Kicking Horse River in southeastern British Columbia along rapids ranging from class two to five. We, of course, hiked in all of the National Parks, and stayed in some pretty cool hotels and resorts. I highly recommend the Jasper Lake Lodge and the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho. This lake in Idaho surprisingly ended up being one of my favorite places as well. It was the cutest little town with great shopping! Vancouver also had a great shopping district! These northern locations tend to stay pretty cold all year long and there are many glaciers in the mountains. The Columbia Icefield is a well known group of glaciers in Jasper, and the largest icefield in the Rockies. The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six that make up the icefield, and you can actually walk on it. They have special cars that take people on the ice and we had the privilege of walking on the glacier. There are only 23 of these vehicles in the world, and the Columbia Icefield Adventures own 21 of them. The other two are in Antarctica for polar exploration and testing. The Athabasca Glacier, though, is full of its own interesting polar features.

The Glacier

When we were riding up the mountain, through the ice, I wondered why it looked dirty. The ice looked so much bluer from afar, but browner the closer we got. This vehicle took us to a part of the glacier safe to walk, not too easy though. Throughout the trip the tour guide mentioned tons of facts about the Athabasca Glacier, including what made it dirty in color. It’s called cryoconite, and overall not very beneficial for the glaciers. It is a powdery dust made of minerals and other small rocks, soot, and microbes (Baccolo). The darker color of the surface attracts more light and causes the glacier to melt faster (Baccolo). The accumulation of cryoconite increases the melting rate of the ice and lowers albedo (Baccolo). “Albedo is the fraction of light that a surface reflects. If it is all reflected, the albedo is equal to 1. If 30% is reflected, the albedo is 0.3” (“What Is”). I thought this was a good example that visibly displayed how albedo affects a surface, therefore, how cryoconite affects a surface. While cryoconite may have some positive aspects, the glaciers would be better off without it, and even last longer. It even looks prettier without it!

Athabasca Glacier from a distance (June 2024).
Athabasca Glacier up close (June 2024).

Works Cited

Baccolo, Giovanni. “Did You Know… the Surface of Melting Glaciers Is One of the Most Radioactive Places on Earth?” Cryospheric Sciences, 29 May 2020, blogs.egu.eu/divisions/cr/2020/05/29/did-you-know-the-surface-of-melting-glaciers-is-one-of-the-most-radioactive-places-on-earth/#:~:text=Due%20to%20its%20colour%2C%20it. Accessed 7 July 2024.

“What Is Albedo?” My NASA Data, 10 Aug. 2020, mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/mini-lessonactivity/what-albedo#:~:text=Albedo%20is%20the%20fraction%20of.

More of a New England SUmmer

As I mentioned in my previous post, we spent last summer in New England, and I cannot express how much I loved it! My favorite places were, by far, Boston and Nantucket. I love cities so much, and Boston is truly one of the most fascinating places in the United States. I also cannot survive too long without the beach, so I loved the coastal chic of the island of Nantucket. This beach town was so unique, with its own unique housing, as well. I can already envision myself in these beachside cottages, complete with shingles and all. Apparently, when building on the island, houses must have pitched roofs and unpainted shingles. This is how they keep the uniformity. Shingles or not, you will definitely see me there!

the shingles of Nantucket

During the building process, the houses are covered in tan-colored shingles, not the well-known grey ones. After surviving the harsh weather conditions in Nantucket, the new houses’ tan shingles turn grey (Goldberger). Only after weathering do they get their well-known coloring. This material is either white pine, oak, or cedar. These hard woods are naturally resistant to rot and insects and hold up well to the salt air (“Shingle Siding New England”). In the end, these shingles are both great materials for the Nantucket environment and culture! See you there!

Here is a picture of a house in Nantucket being built during our summer trip. The tan-colored shingles are clearly evident in this. (June 2023)
Here is a picture of another house that is clearly older, where the shingles are now weathered and grey in color. (June 2023)
The purpose is to show weathering of shingles in Nantucket.
The houses in these picture look even older, and darker grey, suggesting they are older than the previous two. (June 2023)

Works Cited

“Shingle Siding New England.” Buildings of New England, 8 Aug. 2021, buildingsofnewengland.com/tag/shingle-siding-new-england/#:~:text=The%20home%20is%20clad%20in,amazingly%20well%20to%20salt%20air. 

Goldberger, Paul. “A Rigid Building Code Preserves Nantucket.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Aug. 1987, www.nytimes.com/1987/08/02/arts/architecture-view-a-rigid-building-code-preserves-nantucket.html#:~:text=You%20cannot%20build%20as%20you,survived%20their%20first%20Nantucket%20winter.

a New England summer

This past summer we went all over New England making stops in Nantucket, Boston, Newport, and Upstate New York. We spent the Fourth of July in Boston, Massachusetts, and learned a lot about the history of the city through various tours and other activities. We went to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park and also had the privilege of watching the Boston Pops perform live. There are various college campuses in Boston as well, so we visited Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). One sightseeing tour we went on was the duck tour that lets you see the city on both land and water. Our tour guide did a phenomenal job and pointed out many interesting facts about Boston. When we were in Beacon Hill, one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods, he mentioned the glass in this neighborhood. Some buildings still had original glass from the early 1800s, and he knew this because of its purple color.

Purple glass

Between 1818 and 1824, England sent glass to Beacon Hill that had too much manganese oxide. It looked normal when first installed, but after it was exposed to sunlight, it turned purple and all of these buildings had purple glass (“The Story”). This is because the ultraviolet light from the sun initiates an electron exchange which turns the colorless glass purple. This entire batch of glass turned purple, so it is easy to identify its date of origin. All of the original glass in Beacon Hill is purple, and all of the updated glass is colorless. Boston is such a unique city with history everywhere you look. Even its glass is filled with so much history.

Here is a purple windowpane I took a picture of when we were walking through Beacon Hill (July 2023).

works cited

“The Story Behind Beacon Hill’s Purple Windows.” New England Living, 11 Apr. 2023, newenglandliving.tv/the-story-behind-beacon-hills-purple-windows/.

The Ancient City: Edinburgh, Scotland

This question has countless answers depending on where these buildings are today. Stones used in European cities are fascinating in particular. Some cities have been around for thousands of years, and it is remarkable how there are still structures around today. A very important factor of this is the stones being used to build these specific buildings. I recently went to Edinburgh, Scotland, which has records dating back to 8500 BC, and was able to witness such old landmarks firsthand. When I visited Paris, the buildings were rarely discolored and something I did not pay much attention to. When I was in Edinburgh, though, the discoloration in the stone was fascinating to me. I was not sure if this was because of the city’s age or some other factor that affected the stone.

This is a picture I took while we were in Edinburgh, Scotland of noticeably darker stones. – March 2023

The Stones

Edinburgh is made of something called craigleith sandstone which is sturdy and already fairly different in color. These stones are typically grey or brown and desirable for building structures because it is easy to work with but also reluctant to weathering (“Interesting Facts”). This allows for such ancient cities to still be around today. As for the color of the stones in Edinburgh, knowing some were already grey to begin with made sense, but still did not explain why some looked black. According to Katie Welsh, it is actually just pollution. Up until the 20th century, coal was burned in house fires and railways and thus covered buildings in soot (Welsh). This grime and soot still covers the sandstone today, which helps protect it from corrosion. I find it fascinating how all cities have different stories to share, even within the architecture. I assumed this Scottish city looked old thanks to only its age, but there are so many more factors. It is important to remember to leave no stone unturned, literally.

Source

“Interesting Facts – Sandstone.” Banas Stone. Banas Stone, 2023, www.banasstones.com/interesting-facts/309-interesting-facts-sandstone/. 
Welsh, Katie. “Edinburgh’s Iconic Scott Monument and the Reason it Can Never Get Cleaned.” edinburghlive. MGN Limited, 29 June 2021, www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburghs-iconic-scott-monument-reason-20931701.

The Rock

I play soccer and have been playing ever since I was four years old. I have tried numerous sports since then, but I have always loved soccer the most. I started playing competitively in third grade and am still on a travel team today. I also play on the varsity team for my school, The Benjamin School. I am in ninth grade, so this is my first year on this team, but last year, they made it all the way to the State Championship. This year though, we lost in penalty kicks, in the State Semi-Finals, with a disheartening loss to the NSU Sharks. With the competitive club team I am on, we participated in the Gulf Coast Invitational in Wesley Chapel, Florida. While we were driving across the state, a rock hit our car windshield and cracked a part of the glass. We continued to drive, but the crack continued to grow. I wondered why this was happening, and what made cracks expand in this type of glass. What affects cracks in car windshields?

This was the crack in our car window that continued to spread as we drove. – February 2023

The Reason

Cracks in car windshields spread and grow because of extreme temperatures (“5 Types”). As temperatures rapidly increase or decrease, the tempered or laminated glass of cars expand and contract. When this happens too quickly, stress cracks form or add on to already damaged glass (“5 Types”). Exposure to sun and wind also causes cracks to grow (“How Do”). When driving, the wind hitting the glass does not help prevent the broken glass from spreading. Thanks to excessive sunlight, wind, and increases/decreases in temperature, cracked glass can only get worse.

Source

“5 Types of Windscreen Cracks, and What They Mean for You.” Novus Glass. NOVUS Glass, 25 June 2021, www.novusglass.com/en-au/industry-insight/5-types-of-windscreen-cracks-and-what-they-mean-for-you/. Accessed 19 February 2023.

“How Do You Stop a Windshield Crack From Spreading?” BEMAC. Bemac Collision Group, 23 August 2018, www.bemac.ca/blog/how-do-you-stop-a-windshield-crack-from-spreading/. Accessed 19 February 2023. 

Even though I did not take this picture, we did have the privilege of seeing this statue while we were in Paris.

The Venus de Milo

Paris is filled with various well known landmarks and artifacts, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and, of course, the Louvre. The Louvre, famously known for the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, and Aphrodite of Milos, is in the center of the beautiful city. Better known as the Venus de Milo, the statue represents Aphrodite, the goddess of love (“Venus de”). It stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall, absent of arms, in one of the most visited places in the Louvre (Richman-Abdou). The figure itself was carved around 150 BC, and was found on April 8, 1820 on the Aegean island of Melos (“Venus de”). Even though the sculpture was found in pieces, the material needed to be sturdy enough to last nearly two thousand years. The Venus de Milo is said to be built out of marble, but marble is a very brittle stone. With that being said, it is easy to carve but it is hard to believe the statue has lasted all these years. It was originally carved in two parts: the torso and the legs (“Venus de”). These two parts were then connected at the hips, hidden by drapery.

The MAterials

The material used to build the structure, Parian marble, is similar to limestone. A largely known fact is that limestone is never a great material to use for building or foundation. What if the Venus de Milo was not built out of marble? Would we know what the arms were doing? When building sculptures, there are many other more sustainable materials to use. It is no surprise that metals are the best, most durable option to use when building a statue. The hardness and lack of corrosion of specifically stainless steel and bronze, are the best substances to use when creating a sculpture. Who knows? If the Venus de Milo was built out of steel, we might have the answers we are looking for. 

Source

Richman-Abdou, Kelly. “The Mysterious History of the Marble ‘Venus de Milo’ Statue.” My Modern Met. 20 May 2022, mymodernmet.com/venus-de-milo-statue/. Accessed 5 August 2022. 

“Venus de Milo.” Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2022, www.britannica.com/topic/Venus-de-Milo. Accessed 5 August 2022.

I took this picture as we were waiting to go up the famed Eiffel Tower – March 2022

Paris, France

In the spring of 2022, we traveled to Europe. Only so much can be done in a single week, so unfortunately we could not visit everywhere we wanted. If it were up to me, we would have spent a lengthy time in Europe and visited all over the continent, spending time in Italy, England, Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland. With that being said, I was able to travel to one of the prettiest cities in the world: Paris, France. Paris, known worldwide for the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Louvre Museum, and of course, the Eiffel Tower, is France’s capital city and one of the major cities in Europe.

The Eiffel Tower

Not many people know this, but the Eiffel Tower actually gains height during the summer, so if it appears taller, you are not crazy. (“Why Does”). The tower itself is made out of puddled iron, which like many other metals, adapts to its environment (“Why Does”). When the outside temperature reaches high enough, it causes the metal to expand and causes the tower to grow taller (“Why Does”). When metal heats up, the particles start moving, and start taking up more space. It can grow up to six inches each summer (“Why Does”). On the contrary, at extreme low temperatures, the metal contracts and results in the Eiffel Tower decreasing in height (“Why Does”). As the metal cools down, the particles slow down. Material science is all about understanding and applying the properties of matter. With this new information about the metal of the Eiffel Tower, it can be beneficial towards understanding different metals, and how to use them appropriately.

Source

“Why Does The Eiffel Tower Change Size?” Toureiffel.paris. Sociéte d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel, www.toureiffel.paris/en/news/history-and-culture/why-does-eiffel-tower-change-size. Accessed 5 August 2022.