Fine will discuss how developments in materials science, in particular the ability to control the microscopic structure of materials, can be used to develop materials with specific properties.
Unfortunately, Fine says, industry is not making use of the new knowledge that materials scientists are uncovering.
"We know a lot more now than a few years ago about the design of microstructures to obtain desired properties," Fine said. However, "while our understanding of materials is increasing, the ability of industry to use this understanding is decreasing. The two cultures [of science and industry] are diverging rather than converging."
Fine will discuss problems industry faces that could be helped by basic research, such as castings more resistant to fractures and improved processing of aluminum alloys for better resistance to dents.
Fine also will discuss his participation in the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago and his arrival at Los Alamos in 1945.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.