Glass-transition phenomena and the co-operative motion of molecules are important for a wide range of systems beyond window glass. Breakthroughs in our understanding of the glass transition are likely to have an impact on problems ranging from the vitrification of pharmaceuticals to nanotribology and the anomalous diffusion of molecules in plastics. Furthermore, understanding motion in “jammed” systems may have profound effects on other fields, such as protein folding, the flow of granular materials, the shearing of wet foams and the deformation of bulk amorphous metals.
As new experimental techniques are developed, it may one day be possible to directly observe co-operative motions of atoms and molecules. In the meantime, optical-microscopy experiments on model colloidal fluids, combined with simulations of atomic, molecular and polymeric liquids, will continue to shed light on the universal features of glass formation.
Comprehension check
1. Write a brief summary of each part.
2. Do the translation of the most difficult sentences or parts of the text.
3. Make up your own vocabulary on this text so that to use it in discussion on the topic.
Discussion
1. Prove that the glass transition remains the deepest and most important unsolved problem in solid-state physics.
2. Characterize molecular motion that accompanies glass formation.
3. Describe colloids.
4. Discuss the future possible trends in the development of the glass theory.
UNIT 3
QUOTABLE QUOTES
Vocabbox
noun collocations
§ quotable quote
§ internal memo
§ short-coming
§ about-turn
§ Morse code
§ plywood box
§ relentless march
§ clairvoyant
verb collocations
§ talk moonshine
§ prove smth wrong
§ to be bilge
§ to be a hoax
§ wager
Pre-reading task
Do you know any quotes concerning scientific researchers?
Reading
Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Entitle each of them.
It is always intriguing to find out what the experts think about a particular topic, especially one that you’re interested in. If you pick certain aspects of physics that have developed extremely quickly or have changed all our lives, it should be no surprise if the experts got it very wrong. Here are a few interesting quotes that I have collected together.
First of all, here is a bit of arrogance from Lord Rutherford, the discoverer of the atomic nucleus: “All science is either physics or stamp collecting”. Having won the 1908 Nobel chemistry prize for his work on radioactivity and then having spent the next 25 years developing the subject, Lord Rutherford in 1933 also said: “The energy produced by the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine”. Just over 10 years later, the first atomic bomb exploded and less than 10 years after that the first atomic power station was connected to the national grid.
However, if you want an even smaller time interval between the quote and the event that proves it wrong, try Sir Richard Wooley, the Astronomer Royal who, in 1956, said: “The idea of space travel is bilge.” The next year the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial Earth satellite.
Lord Kelvin, one of the scientific giants of the nineteenth century, is a good source of quotes, especially in his later years. After hearing about the discovery of X-rays, he pronounced: “X-rays are a hoax.” Just over 3 years later, in 1900, in his address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science he was bold enough to say: “There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.” This was a common feeling at the time, yet, later that same year, Planck discovered the quantum and started a revolution in physics that continues to this day.
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