Geomaterials of the Human Past and Future

Catalog description

Sustainable development has spurred a growing interest in the intersections of geoscience and engineering, the human past and future. If, on the one hand, Earth's dynamics has set in motion an industrious factory floor for processes and materials, on the other hand, civilizations of all times have selected Earth materials for technology development and progress in manufacturing structural, architectural, and pigmenting materials. This course is intended for sophomores, juniors, and seniors of both STEM and Humanities majors, and has as objective to introduce students to the concept of rocks and geomaterials (i.e., inorganic raw materials derived from the Earth's crust after appropriate processing), the sought properties, and how their use impact sustainability. The course will also highlight two of the most iconic materials from the past that stand for timelessness, the Maya blue and Roman marine concrete, and look at future materials that advance the conversation on building a sustainable future - from decarbonizing concrete to cathode minerals for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries.