Mary Yess, ECS Deputy Executive Director & Chief Content Officer, and Logan Streu, ECS Content Associate and Assistant to the CCO, recently came across a great video series that addresses a hot button topic here at ECS: access.

Through our mission to disseminate content to the largest possible audience with as few barriers as possible and our move towards full open access publication, ECS is working to help change the nature of scientific communication itself.

However, sometimes these technical research papers do not tell the important scientific stories that the everyday reader needs to know. For ECS, the Redcat blog was the answer to that issue. For Johns Hopkins University, their series “Science: Out of the Box” focuses on translating complex scientific concepts into understandable and entertaining stories.

The iconic Moore’s Law will mark its 50th anniversary this Sunday, April 19th. In celebration, we’ll be taking a look at the solid state revolutionary who made the incredible prediction, the inception of the law, and the deep-rooted links between Gordon Moore and The Electrochemical Society.

The initial transformation in the electronics industry began with an invention at Bell Labs in late 1947 of a little device known as the transistor. The transistor acted as a catalyst of change not only for solid state science and the electronics industry, but also for the composition and spirit of ECS membership—which would begin to be centered on the Electronics Division.

Prior to this solid state surge, electronics—specifically the Electronics Division at ECS—was centered on topics such as phosphors and cathode ray tubes in light of the advent of television. Moore joined ECS in 1957 and helped transform the division into something new—something exciting.

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Yes, we’ve actually made electrochemical and solid state science themed trading cards.

At the 227th ECS Meeting in Chicago this May, we will be introducing our first set of Official ECS Major League Trading Cards featuring some of the greatest scientists in ECS related fields. This first batch of 50 includes some of the biggest movers and shakers in the field, past and present.

We are looking to give electrochemical and solid state science a wider exposure. Through these ECS cards, we hope to disseminate knowledge in an accessible and entertaining way.

With all of the amazing scientists in the field pioneering groundbreaking developments, it was hard for us to narrow our selection down to just 50. We hope to continue producing these cards—allowing us to highlight all of these incredible scientists.

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While you’ll have to collect and trade to get your hands on all 50 (they come in packs of 10), everyone attending the plenary session at the 227th Meeting will get his or her very own Allen J. Bard card in celebration of the first ever award presented in his name.

Want a set for yourself? Find us in Chicago and grab a pack. (Sorry, there’s no bubble gum included.)

Know who should be in the next batch? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

Only two weeks left!
Take advantage of early-bird registration today!

Register and book your hotel by April 24,2015 to get significant discount

Register online now!

Plenary Session
Join us for the ECS Lecture being given by John A. Turner from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His talk is entitled: “Hydrogen from Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting – What’s it gonna’ take?” Learn more about the plenary and to listen to a podcast with Dr. Turner.

Award Winners
The first Allen J. Bard Award winner is Henry White, Dean of the College of Science at the University of Utah. The Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science and Technology will be presented to Yue Kuo, currently the holder of the Dow Professorship at Texas A&M University of Chemical Engineering. Learn more about society, division, and section awards.

Poster and Exhibit
These sessions are the perfect excuse to network while browsing an exciting line up of posters as well as the industry’s leading exhibitors. See the list of exhibitors.

Chicago Proceedings
The proceedings of seven Chicago symposia (H05, I05, I02, H03, H01, G02, H04) from the 227th ECS Meeting will be published in ECS Transactions (ECST) on May 15, 2015, just before the meeting in Chicago. Order your copies now with your early-bird registration.

5K Run and 1-Mile Walk
Claim your spot at the starting line on Wednesday of the meeting for the 3rd ECS Free the Science 5K and 1-Mile walk | sign up today!

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Deadline for Submitting Abstracts
May 1, 2015

Submit today!

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A novel vibrating vest that will allow deaf people to feel sound is under development at Rice University. The low-cost, non-invasive VEST—Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer—features dozens of embedded sensors to vibrate varying patterns based on the words spoken.

The VEST works in tandem with a phone or tablet app to isolate speech from ambient sound and allow for easier translation of the vibration patterns.

“We see other applications for what we’re calling tactile sensory substitution,” says Rice University junior Abhipray Sahoo. “Information can be sent through the human body. It’s not just an augmentative device for the deaf. The VEST could be a general neural input device. You could receive any form of information.”

Interested in how sensor technology could change the world? Make sure to join us at the 227th ECS Meeting in Chicago this May, where we’ll hold symposia dedicated to sensors and their applications in healthcare, the environment, and beyond.

Register online now!

ECS’s job board keeps you up-to-date with the latest career opportunities in electrochemical and solid state science. Check out the latest openings that have been added to the board.

P.S. Employers can post open positions for free!

Electrolyte Scientist
Envia Systems – Newark, California
Envia Systems is looking for a highly motivated and creative scientist for synthesis and characterization of novel electrolytes for lithium ion batteries.

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Engineers have developed a way to visualize the optical properties of objects that are thousands of times small than a grain of sand.
Source: YouTube/Stanford University

In order to develop high efficiency solar cells and LEDs, researchers need to see how light interacts with objects on the nanoscale. Unfortunately, light is tricky to visualize in relation to small-scale objects.

Engineers from Stanford University, in collaboration with FOM Institute AMOLF, have developed a next-gen optical method to produce high-resolution, 3D images of nanoscale objects. This allows researchers to visualize the optical properties of objects that are several thousandths the size of a grain of sand.

The teams achieved this by combining two technologies: cathodluminescence and tomography.

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A research team from Standford University has developed a high-performance aluminum battery.
Image: YouTube/Stanford University

Researchers have been attempting to make a commercially viable aluminum-ion battery for years. Now, a team from Stanford University may have developed just the thing to outpace widely used lithium-ion and alkaline batteries.

The new aluminum-ion battery demonstrates high performance, a fast charging time, long-lasting cycles, and is of low cost to produce.

“We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames,” said Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Stanford.

The researchers were able to achieve this novel battery by applying graphite as the cathode material.

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Hackett is back and he’s cooking up this ultra-strong adhesive. Find out how to make sodium silicate, otherwise known as water glass, which can provide you with a sable and non-toxic glue.

And if you’re looking for more videos on science, make sure to head over to our YouTube channel to see what we have to offer!