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Basic Concepts for Simple and Complex Liquids
BOOKS & MEDIA UPDATE
The art of colorful science
Basic Concepts for Simple and Complex Liquids
Philip Ball’s latest book explores the history and science of color through paintings by the masters across the ages, leaving Mark Miodownik eager to go and see the originals.
Barrat, J.-L., and Hansen, J.-P.
Halfway through reading Bright Earth by Philip Ball, I had to stop and rummage around to find my box of watercolors. I wanted to look at the colors that Ball was talking about and see them through his eyes, not just as an artist’s palate but also as an ancient chemistry set; ultramarine, crimson, vermilion, cadmium yellow, and cobalt blue. Each one a signature from a particular civilization, each one a moment in the history of science. Crimson originated from an insect the Greeks called ‘kermes’. In Latin, the pigment was also referred to as ‘granum’ (grain) because of the resemblance of the insect to a cluster of berries. The importance of the pigment lay not just in its color, but in its ability to resist fading. The word ‘ingrained’ refers to crimson’s ability to do just that. The search for other resilient pigments overlapped with the alchemical desire to understand the properties and transformation of metals. Why did gold not tarnish? Alchemists believed that it was because gold had the perfect balance of the two immutable principles, sulfur and quicksilver. In the course of experiments to adjust the balance of the two principles in lead and so turn it into gold, they became experts in color transformation and created the synthetic version of crimson called vermilion. So these pigments were not just colors. They had a cultural significance and potency that today we have forgotten. In Twelfth Night, Olivia boasts of the resolution and permanence of her complexion by referring to crimson, saying, “’Tis ingrain sir! ’twill endure wind and weather.” Ball argues that in the history of painting we have a unique graphic record of these associations between color, culture, and science. This link between the technology of pigments and our cultural heritage is an absolutely fascinating story. Ball takes us through the masters of color, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Cézanne, van Gogh, Rothko, and Kandinsky, among many others. He links Newton and Maxwell to Rembrandt and Turner. In particular, he shows how changes in science and technology affected the type of
46
May 2003
art being produced. For example, the Impressionists’ revolutionary use of bright and bold colors happened at a time when chemistry itself was going through a revolution and had evolved to a point where it could provide artists with the bright colors they desired. Equally, the search for new colors pushed science forward, leading to unexpected discoveries and new elements. These discoveries were not restricted to chemistry. The 1870s saw new synthetic dyes used to stain biological cells under the microscope. Some parts of the cell became strongly stained and so revealed colored bodies, or chromosomes. Another fascinating detail is the number of art/science partnerships that have been formed throughout history, such as the famous British art suppliers Windsor and Newton, Windsor being a chemist and Newton an artist. Ball also considers art that is focused solely on color, such as Klein’s famous exhibition of blue paintings in 1957. These were pictures in which even the binder itself was banished and just the raw pigment was fixed to the canvas. Ball says that these “shimmering blue works” have to be seen to be believed and no reproduction can Philip Ball Bright Earth: The Invention of Colour (2002) Penguin Books, 448 pp., ISBN: 0-140-29662-X £9.99
ever do them justice. After finishing the book I wanted to go and see them. I wanted to go and see the Impressionists again. I wanted to see a painting by Titian and spot the first use of the brilliant orange pigments and appreciate the almost sacred ultramarine. I feel like I have been let into a secret that gives painting an extra dimension. With this book, Philip Ball has redefined art galleries, not just as bastions of cultural and aesthetic sensibilities but also, incredibly, as science museums! Mark A. Miodownik lectures in Materials and EngineeringArt in the Mechanical Engineering Department at King’s College London, UK.
Cambridge University Press, (2003), 308 pp., ISBN: 0-521-78344-5 $110 / £80
In this work, the authors aim to present all the concepts needed for an understanding of the physics and chemistry of liquids in a concise style. Examples and applications of both simple molecular liquids and complex soft condensed matter systems are used to illustrate the text. After a general introduction, the book is split into four sections: thermodynamics; structure and fluctuations; phase transitions, interfaces, and inhomogeneous fluids; and transport and dynamics.
SiO2 in Si Microdevices Itsumi, M. Springer-Verlag, (2003), 334 pp., ISBN: 3-540-43339-2 $84.95 / 69.95
This book follows the use of SiO2 in every step of Si microdevice fabrication: the growth, cleaning, and thermal oxidation of Si; metal interconnect formation; and photolithography. It also describes new methods for observing and eliminating defects in SiO2.
Low Dielectric Constant Materials for IC Applications Ho, P. S., et al., (eds.) Springer-Verlag, (2003), 309 pp., ISBN: 3-540-67819-0 $109 / £70 / 99.95
Beginning with an overview of low dielectric constant (k) materials, this book contains a series of chapters on the use and development of such materials for interconnects and packaging applications in microelectronics. Low-k materials technology, characterization, integration, and reliability issues are discussed. Organic, inorganic, and composite materials are all covered.
Expert Graduate Undergraduate
The art of colorful science
Basic Concepts for Simple and Complex Liquids
Philip Ball’s latest book explores the history and science of color through paintings by the masters across the ages, leaving Mark Miodownik eager to go and see the originals.
Barrat, J.-L., and Hansen, J.-P.
Halfway through reading Bright Earth by Philip Ball, I had to stop and rummage around to find my box of watercolors. I wanted to look at the colors that Ball was talking about and see them through his eyes, not just as an artist’s palate but also as an ancient chemistry set; ultramarine, crimson, vermilion, cadmium yellow, and cobalt blue. Each one a signature from a particular civilization, each one a moment in the history of science. Crimson originated from an insect the Greeks called ‘kermes’. In Latin, the pigment was also referred to as ‘granum’ (grain) because of the resemblance of the insect to a cluster of berries. The importance of the pigment lay not just in its color, but in its ability to resist fading. The word ‘ingrained’ refers to crimson’s ability to do just that. The search for other resilient pigments overlapped with the alchemical desire to understand the properties and transformation of metals. Why did gold not tarnish? Alchemists believed that it was because gold had the perfect balance of the two immutable principles, sulfur and quicksilver. In the course of experiments to adjust the balance of the two principles in lead and so turn it into gold, they became experts in color transformation and created the synthetic version of crimson called vermilion. So these pigments were not just colors. They had a cultural significance and potency that today we have forgotten. In Twelfth Night, Olivia boasts of the resolution and permanence of her complexion by referring to crimson, saying, “’Tis ingrain sir! ’twill endure wind and weather.” Ball argues that in the history of painting we have a unique graphic record of these associations between color, culture, and science. This link between the technology of pigments and our cultural heritage is an absolutely fascinating story. Ball takes us through the masters of color, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Cézanne, van Gogh, Rothko, and Kandinsky, among many others. He links Newton and Maxwell to Rembrandt and Turner. In particular, he shows how changes in science and technology affected the type of
46
May 2003
art being produced. For example, the Impressionists’ revolutionary use of bright and bold colors happened at a time when chemistry itself was going through a revolution and had evolved to a point where it could provide artists with the bright colors they desired. Equally, the search for new colors pushed science forward, leading to unexpected discoveries and new elements. These discoveries were not restricted to chemistry. The 1870s saw new synthetic dyes used to stain biological cells under the microscope. Some parts of the cell became strongly stained and so revealed colored bodies, or chromosomes. Another fascinating detail is the number of art/science partnerships that have been formed throughout history, such as the famous British art suppliers Windsor and Newton, Windsor being a chemist and Newton an artist. Ball also considers art that is focused solely on color, such as Klein’s famous exhibition of blue paintings in 1957. These were pictures in which even the binder itself was banished and just the raw pigment was fixed to the canvas. Ball says that these “shimmering blue works” have to be seen to be believed and no reproduction can Philip Ball Bright Earth: The Invention of Colour (2002) Penguin Books, 448 pp., ISBN: 0-140-29662-X £9.99
ever do them justice. After finishing the book I wanted to go and see them. I wanted to go and see the Impressionists again. I wanted to see a painting by Titian and spot the first use of the brilliant orange pigments and appreciate the almost sacred ultramarine. I feel like I have been let into a secret that gives painting an extra dimension. With this book, Philip Ball has redefined art galleries, not just as bastions of cultural and aesthetic sensibilities but also, incredibly, as science museums! Mark A. Miodownik lectures in Materials and EngineeringArt in the Mechanical Engineering Department at King’s College London, UK.
Cambridge University Press, (2003), 308 pp., ISBN: 0-521-78344-5 $110 / £80
In this work, the authors aim to present all the concepts needed for an understanding of the physics and chemistry of liquids in a concise style. Examples and applications of both simple molecular liquids and complex soft condensed matter systems are used to illustrate the text. After a general introduction, the book is split into four sections: thermodynamics; structure and fluctuations; phase transitions, interfaces, and inhomogeneous fluids; and transport and dynamics.
SiO2 in Si Microdevices Itsumi, M. Springer-Verlag, (2003), 334 pp., ISBN: 3-540-43339-2 $84.95 / 69.95
This book follows the use of SiO2 in every step of Si microdevice fabrication: the growth, cleaning, and thermal oxidation of Si; metal interconnect formation; and photolithography. It also describes new methods for observing and eliminating defects in SiO2.
Low Dielectric Constant Materials for IC Applications Ho, P. S., et al., (eds.) Springer-Verlag, (2003), 309 pp., ISBN: 3-540-67819-0 $109 / £70 / 99.95
Beginning with an overview of low dielectric constant (k) materials, this book contains a series of chapters on the use and development of such materials for interconnects and packaging applications in microelectronics. Low-k materials technology, characterization, integration, and reliability issues are discussed. Organic, inorganic, and composite materials are all covered.
Expert Graduate Undergraduate