Let’s introduce to our audience Dr. Yarjan Abdul Samad! Who are you? If you had to describe yourself in 1 sentence, what would you say?

I am a materials science researcher who is fascinated by challenges in Space that are cross-cutting and are useful on earth as well.

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What are the most 

1- Fascinating research

2- Impactful research

3- Fun and whimsical research 

You are leading these days? 

For me the most fascinating research is something, which is an open ended challenge and you get surprised at every step of solving it. For example most of the research work for Space is fascinating because the environment is not fully known and thus the results are more likely to be unexpected than other research work that we do for earth based problems. My research could be for Space or for a Blue Sky challenge but the impact I would like to create is on earth. For example a loop heat pipe, which we build to cool electronics in space can be used in the future rails, which will need efficient cooling systems to move at the intended speeds. Questions from my surroundings always intrigue me and I do explore some of them in my research. For example, the ice crystals frozen on a spider web make a strand of spheres. And I went under a SEM to image the spider web to understand the phenomenon. I found out that spider webs have nodes, which result in spherical ice crystals in the cold and rainy seasons. 

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Science fiction time.. Can we really move objects with a ray of light?

Light carries momentum. That momentum can be transferred depending on its interaction with the material. Materials designed to either absorb or reflect light can move. Our atmosphere offers a considerable drag, which can overcome the momentum of light fairly easily. Nonetheless, this phenomenon can be observed under vacuum. So, a light irradiated on an object in vacuum can move provided that we make it low density and structurally strong to have the phenomenon observed under lower intensity of lights without damaging the material. Graphene aerogel is very low density (sometimes close to the density of air). We have observed considerable momentum transfer of light to graphene aerogel with laser powers as low as a watt. 

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Is it true that you are turning wood into conductors to send them to space? How is it possible?  

Yes. Wood has always been a great construction material. Some of the challenges, which limit its use in many modern technologies, are its insulating behavior and sometimes higher density than advanced composites. We make graphene enhanced wood, which is electrically conductive and is up to 70% less dense than its pristine condition. This can enhance the chances of wood being used as a construction material where strength, electrical conductivity and low density are required such as Aerospace.

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AI…AI…AI…is AI doing anything useful in your field as a materials scientist?

Yes. We resort to AI for materials selection at the upstream of our research work processes and for data analysis at the downstream.

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If you could design an experiment without any limitations of time or money… what would it be? 

I would deploy a giant laser source in space orbiting the earth and moving satellites around with laser propulsion.

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If you could have a superhero power. What would it be?

Moving objects with a lightning arc from my eye ;) 

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Mystery dinner party…Dead or Alive, who would be 3 guests you would invite to your dinner party?

Nicola Tesla, Galileo Galilei and Ibn Al Haytham

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If you could leave a question for the next guest, what would that be? 

If you could clone a person from the past with same intellectual characteristics, who would that be?

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Question from our previous guest: You’re an orchestra director, stranded in a remote place in the world (anywhere from the North Pole or the most remote part of Congo jungle). What would you play and what would you use as instruments?

I will use “Suroz” , a traditional musical instrument similar to Violin. And I will play a traditional tune of the desert called “Biya o Mureed Deewanagen”.