Thanks for your response. I appreciated your discussion of strategies to understand literature. I think using the "Cited By" feature is an incredible way to understand the conversation around your topic of research. Similarly, I  have found investigating the sources that papers cite to be helpful as well. I typically will follow the literature that the paper in question cites to get more insight into what kinds of ideas and information the original paper is drawing from. Nonetheless, I feel that both ways are insightful ways to better understand the context around the research we are conducting. Thanks!

Since starting my project, I have primarily encountered experimental data that contradicts my assumption. Initially, I set out to find polaritonic recycling in MoS2 (molybdenum disulfide). For more context, a polariton is essentially a particle that is half-light and half-matter. The light aspect of the "particle" enables it to move incredibly fast, while the particle aspect allows for extraction for modern technologies. However, after reviewing relevant data about MoS2 that might have indicated polaritonic recycling, it turns out that the electron transport found in the material is likely normal diffusion - which is not the purpose of the overall investigation. In addition to this, the material MoS2 was producing data of poor quality. Thereby, it was necessary to switch to a higher quality material - WSe2 - that was meticulously grown and cultivated in another lab at Columbia. However, many of the same problems that were occurring with MoS2 are also occurring with WSe2 - hindering the discovery of polaritonic recycling in a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) - known for their unique ability to self-hybridize (form polaritons without external cavities). Nonetheless, the investigation will persist but likely at a different angle to find polaritonic recycling. The most valuable resource through this process has been others. Whether it be people in my own lab or others in the department, perspective and expertise has been incredibly useful in progressing in my own investigation.

Thanks for your response, Ben. Your research sounds fascinating! Fluid mechanics have always interested me and I look forward to hearing more about your research someday. I also appreciated your discussion of your timeline. One thing that I took awhile to realize, and still am grappling with, is how long research takes - years on end or even decades for some people. Results take time so I appreciated your responses! 

1) My research is apart of an investigation into transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). It is a continuation from the previous semester but now testing a different material - one with potential to be able to transport electrons farther and faster than many other materials. It is the stepping stone to be being able to extract electrons for modern day technologies. Overall, the research I am conducting will be apart of a larger manuscript that is being written.

2) The investigation of the transport and extraction of polaritons (particles that are half-matter and half-light)   holds promise to improve energy efficiency for countless applications as the flow of energy is central to life and technology. Emerging materials like transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are known to be excellent semiconductors with photovoltaic and photocatalyst applications. They additionally provide the ideal platform to explore the impact of exciton-polaritons. Practical applications of optimizing energy energy flow include extracting more energy (and faster) from solar cells, storing more energy in batteries, and much more. The potential and unlimited applicability of my research question is what interests me the most. 

Hi Joseph,

Thanks for your great response. I really admired your answer to the first question about ethical concerns to your research - specifically how you incorporated questions that you asked yourself to hold yourself accountable for the way that you represent your subjects. Similarly, I have been asking myself questions about the materials I used. Do I know where this material was sourced from? Was the material susutainably sourced? These questions also lead to an evaluation of whether or not I should be studying the materials that I do - some being rare metals that can't be sustainably sourced. It is through this evaluation that I must consider the harm that my work does and that could potentially jusitfy a switch in the materials I study. Nonetheless, it is such questions and concerns that must continue to be raised to ensure a sustainable and ethical future for the field of Materials Science.

Though I am working in a science lab that does not deal with any living subjects, there are still a plethora of ethical concerns in Materials Science - the main being ethical issues associated with sourcing certain materials. Many elements used in Material Sciences research (aluminum, copper, graphite, and much more) can be, and have been, sourced with child labor, low working standards, and unsafe conditions. Thus, it is incredibly important to understand where the materials I work with comes from. I am currently studying a material made in another lab at Columbia. It is additionally important to question the accessibility of the research I am conducting - whether it would be equitable or if it would disproportionately help one group of people. As I continue my investigation, I continue to look at my research through the intersection of Chemistry and Physics. Allowing my research to fit in multiple fields and not have rigid descriptors has been incredibly insightful to allow my research to take on multiple shapes and forms.

Hi Kira,

In the same way you are fascinated with how STEM intersects with your humanities field, I am interested in how the humanities intersect with my STEM field. For example, my research involves a lot of work around physics and specifically waves. I've been studying sound waves recently for their application in Chemistry and I interestingly have been learning a lot about music at the same time. It's always incredible to see how fields intersect despite seemingly unrelatedness. Thanks! 

Being exposed to a variety of research topics in different disciplines has been incredibly insightful. I foremost have a greater appreciation and understanding of topics outside of the immediate field I am studying. Having this exposure prompts to me look at my research question in a plethora of different ways. Instead of always approaching STEM problems from a pure Physical Chemistry perspective, I try to employ creativity and unconventional methods to go about solving a problem. Being in an interdisciplinary program puts me out of my comfort zone in the ways that I approach researching a specific question or topic. This type of interdisciplinary problem solving has been incredibly useful, especially when feeling "stuck" or when an experiment hasn't gone the way I hoped. 

As I focus more on my individual research project this week, I've been focusing specifically on the resources that were discussed during the librarian roundtable. I've been utilizing Columbia's databases and other resources to be able to access relevant literature to better contextualize my research. There are so many resources available to students that the struggle has actually been narrowing them down. Thus, I plan to use refining and filtering strategies to find literature that best suits my research needs.