Mentor Log

I- September 30, 4:00-5:30
The first visit with Jason Locklin, a chemistry researcher and graduate student professor at the University of Georgia, began with me, full of fear, as usual in these sorts of situations. I had a bit of a time trying to get to him, because the building in which he works, on Riverbend Road, has tinted windows, double air locking doors, and no signs. The whole way around the building. He told me late, after congradulating me for finding him, that this building was only built a year ago especially for extra-security disease research on the nanotechnology level. At the moment, only four major people are working there, with their labs and their graduate students -- all focusing on nanotechnology.
Locklin says he focuses on "organic electronics" which is the science of making semi-conductors, electronically chargable materials out of organic molecules, dyes, objects, and the like. That is, things found naturally ready to be electronically conducting materials. His science is way beyond me, but I try, and I think he does to, to actually connect and understand (in his case, make me understand) what he's talking about.
He had lots of ideas about products to make. He showed be a proposal to make a solar blackberry-dye cell that powered a fan. It was a kit, I might do it, but it costs $40.

II-October 18 4:30-6:00
This visit we discussed a different product idea he had emailed be about -- a solar mechanical entropy engine. Probably more simple to make, but very different from the things Jason works on. He was very busy but had time to explain to me exactly how a solar photovoltaic cell works. I didn't exactly get it, and I still don't get the basics, like electronics in general probably, but now I completely understand all the little details. He told me why there are certain materials that conduct electricity with light and some that don't, and he told me why. It is due to how much light a material can absorb. He also said: light = energy. A very important concept to swallow.
Earlier he also told me how much of a business the research world was. They spend billions a year, and have a bunch of work to do with how they get their money as well as all the new equipement that they have to acquire, etc. Also, the first time he showed be his lab and introduced me to all his students. this time he also explained to be photolithography, how they can organize molecules into nano-rods and really, really, really small things. Interesting..