FROM THE NEST | SUMMER 2025 | 17 USA Today Extra Hour of Sun Seems Great, but Daylight Saving Time Really Does Harm Your Health Muzhe Yang, professor of economics, and colleagues share their research determining how circadian misalignment affects our well-being, specifically mental health. “Being out of sync with the sun can have measurable consequences on mental health,” they cautioned. Live Science Scientists Create Ultra-Tough Copper Alloy That Is Stronger Than Steel and Can Withstand Temperatures of 1500° A new copper alloy developed by researchers including Martin Harmer, professor emeritus of materials science and engineering, can be used to build better airplanes and spacecraft. “This is cutting-edge science, developing a new material that uniquely combines copper’s excellent conductivity with strength and durability on the scale of nickel-based superalloys,” Harmer said. Kappan Pay Reform and the Early Teacher Pipeline A robust pipeline of new teachers may depend, in part, on financial resources public schools have to compensate educators, according to J. Cameron Anglum, assistant professor of educational leadership, and doctoral student Dylan Young ’30. “Amid higher turnover and increased reports of burnout, strengthening the early career teacher pipeline is of vital importance,” they wrote. Lehigh Faculty in the Media Captain America’s trusty shield made of vibranium-metal alloy—a fictional metal in the Marvel Comics universe that absorbs, stores and releases kinetic energy—has served as an engineering and materials science “marvel” for its ability to remain impenetrable to lasers, flames and more. Professor Ricardo H.R. Castro, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and a highly regarded nanomaterials researcher, recently contributed to a Popular Science article exploring the materials science behind this iconic shield. The article delves into the fictional properties of vibranium and how it compares to real-world materials, with Castro offering insights into the challenges and potential of replicating such a substance that can withstand compression and blunt force, deflect bullets and block fire. Engineering Superheroes As part of Engineering Superheroes, an undergraduate course Castro launched at Lehigh in 2024, students studied how materials give superheroes— like Captain America, Thor and Ironman—their powers through a combination of lectures, demonstrations and labs. Students then created their own versions of those shields, hammers and battery packs. The class examined what makes Captain America’s only weapon so effective and discussed what materials could make the shield a good thermal insulator. Together, they designed a small shield with a thin protective organic layer on the surface, then tested it outside by hitting the shield with a flame. “I’m always the one behind the shield, of course, but that’s another thing we talk a lot about—the safety concerns that are a big part of engineering,” Castro said. Scaling Up Materials The class also explored scalability of materials. Everything worked on paper, Castro said, and while the thermal layer they designed can protect the shield, he challenged the students to think of how that same design could be scaled up to protect buildings or aircraft. “It becomes a very comprehensive education story,” he said. “In the real world, developing better and more sustainable materials that can scale up is arguably the biggest— but most exciting—challenge,” according to the Popular Science article. In the article, Castro shares that “space, aviation and electric car batteries are only a few of the realms that will benefit from continued research into the next generation of materials.”—Christine Fennessy and Lauren Thein RESEARCH Exploring Real-World Replication of Captain America’s Shield Professor Ricardo H.R. Castro recently contributed to a Popular Science article exploring the materials science behind Captain America’s iconic shield.
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