44: The History of Rubber in Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations (ft. Michael Tarkanian)

<p>Ancient civilizations have built incredible monuments and artifacts which are the subject of intense research and study to this day. Their use of cement and rubber tells a lot about their culture and is a source of inspiration to modern scientists that hope to create materials that can last for millennia to come. </p> <p>Check out our <a href='https://www.subscribepage.com/msecompanies'>MSE Company Database</a> and <a href='https://www.subscribepage.com/mseprofessionaldevelopmentguide'>free professional development guide</a> for materials scientists and engineers!</p> <p>Today’s guest is Michael Tarkanian, a Research Affiliate in the Center for Materials Research in Archeology and Ethnology as well as a Senior Lecturer in MIT’s Department of MSE. In today’s episode, he discusses how the materials used in ancient civilizations can reveal a lot about their culture.</p> <p>In this conversation, we discuss the following topics:</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">The intersection between materials science and archeology </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The archeological fieldwork</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Learning materials and history from the rubber ball</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Processing methods used by ancient civilizations</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The nanotechnology in ancient artifacts</li> </ul> <p>In 7th grade, our host, Punith, made a presentation about the Hero Twins. Check it out: https://www.slideshare.net/la6stewart/the-story-of-the-hero-twins-2275576</p> <p> </p> <p>Learn more about our MSE Career Development <a href='https://www.mseacademy.com/courses/students-tier-2'>Online Course</a>, which includes more industry-specific information and advice. </p> <p>Also, check out our <a href='https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop'>MSE-themed merchandise</a> if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!</p> <p>Thank you Joao Morgado for editing this episode!</p> <p>Join our <a href='https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN'>Discord commun