Link of the Moment: Tattoo Emporium

If you've got some spare time, head on over to the Tattoo Emporium at Discover magazine's Loom Blog and examine some of the creative ways that scientists and engineers decorate their bodies.

Link of the Moment: Silly Putty Info

If you want to know more about Silly Putty, head on over to HowStuffWorks.com to read their article on the history and properties of the "solid liquid™."

Doc Rheo F/U: Degrees of Food Rheology

I recently had a chance to discuss this letter with a food science professor.  (This professor is familiar with rheology, but it's not his main area of research.)  The professor told me that graduate food rheology projects might be difficult for one important reason: there is no such thing as a model food system.  There are model polymer systems that are used in chemistry and physics studies, but a degree focused only on food rheology might be more difficult than other fields.

The Matter of Your Degree

A recent discussion on SOR group at LinkedIn is an interesting follow up to some of the posts [1,2] I've put up on rheological backgrounds.  Randy Byrne of Malvern Instruments asked which background was best for understanding rheological properties of all materials.  My background in polymer physics has served me well in jobs in materials science, instrument sales, and the food industry. 
Also, in this case, it is worthwhile to see what hiring managers want for rheological jobs [2].  The top choices are Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, and Polymer Science/Engineering.

[1]     Doc Rheo letter on studying food rheology
[2]     Jobs Report review on degree backgrounds

Webinar of the Moment: Extensional Rheology

A few months ago, I viewed this webinar on extensional rheology.  The first part of the webinar is one of the best summaries of extensional properties and terms that I've seen.  Highly recommended.

Rheology Courses for 2012

• The Centre for Industrial Rheology will hold Practical Rheology for Chemists March 14-15 in Hampshire, UK.
• Hemi Nae will hold his Practical Rheology course in Princeton, NJ in June.
• Professor Christ Macosko will hold his Rheology course in Minneapolis, MN June 10-15.
• There will be two courses at the International Congress of Rheology: Colloidal Suspension Rheology and training on the IRIS software.  Courses will be taught August 4-5.

Any others?

Jobs Report (Feb '12)

A search conducted using the keyword "rheolog*" on February 1st found 28 jobs on Monster and 25 jobs on Careerbuilder.