A Teachers as Scholars workshop at the Princeton Center for Complex Materials focused on the science of hair as an introduction to the wide-ranging field of materials science. Photos by Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy
Hair dyes and relaxants change the chemical bonds between hair’s keratin protein fibers and break the hair’s protective cuticle, transforming glossy tresses intro dry, brittle strands.
But the good news is that pairing these treatments with the right conditioners can strengthen the bonds that make hair strong and smooth. And students in a science lab can examine the chemical changes in dyed hair with or without conditioner, or hair that’s been blow-dried or immersed in chlorinated water — an accessible introduction to the world of materials science.
A group of K-12 teachers explored possibilities for these experiments and other lessons in a daylong workshop last December at the Princeton Center for Complex Materials. The teachers came to Princeton as part of the Teachers as Scholars program, which is in its 26th year of offering enrichment opportunities for teachers in the Princeton area.
Led by Janine Nunes, director of education outreach at the Princeton Center for Complex Materials, the workshop introduced teachers to the wide-ranging field of materials science and to National Science Foundation-supported materials research at Princeton, which focuses on new ways to harness materials’ quantum properties and on tunable materials that use biological molecules.