Laboratory scientist Lisa Marie Dougherty will discuss the history and importance of steel in a Café Scientifique talk Wednesday in Española.
Dougherty’s talk, "Steel: The Framework of Our Civilization," begins at 7 p.m. at Northern New Mexico College. Dougherty will repeat her talk Thursday in Santa Fe, January 21 in Albuquerque and January 22 at the Bradbury Science Museum.
"Steel is an amazing alloy and the most important metal in modern civilization,” Dougherty said, adding that modern steelmaking processes were developed only about 150 years ago.
Now steel is used nearly everywhere. “Steel covers the bodies of cars, trains, and buses. Steel bars reinforce concrete walls and bridges, and steel I-beams support the floors and roofs of buildings,” she said.
The more we depend on steel, the more we take it for granted, Dougherty said. Most popular science magazines and television programs now focus on new materials with exotic properties and carefully engineered structures. Still, our civilization relies most heavily on macro-scaled constructions and vehicles, most of which are made, at least in part, of steel. “It may not be exotic, but steel will always be as fascinating as it is essential to our way of life,” Dougherty said.
A postdoctoral scientist with Weapons Component Manufacturing (WCM-1), Dougherty holds a doctoral degree in materials science from the University of Illinois and bachelor's degrees in physics and in classical guitar performance, from Ball State University; she came to the Lab in 2006. Dougherty also is an author of two novels and a bicycle racer.
Dougherty is enthusiastic about the Café Scientifique talks, which are designed to present interesting science topics to high school-age students. “The Café program seems an excellent opportunity for scientists to encourage the next generation of professionals to consider careers in technical fields,” she said.
