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Surprisingly STEM: Memory Metal Engineer

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NASA shape memory metal engineer Othmane Benafan

Audience

Educators, Students

Grade Levels

Grades K-4, Grades 5-8, Grades 9-12, Informal Education

Subject

Careers, Engineering Design, Physical Science, Matter and Its Properties

Type

Videos

An elephant supposedly never forgets, but apparently some metals can have a pretty good memory too! Shape memory metal engineer Othmane Benafan “trains” metal to take specific shapes when prompted. In this episode, Benafan irons out the details of how he creates alloys that can bend, stretch, and twist when heat is applied, and how this technology is turning up the heat on what’s possible for NASA missions.

Surprisingly STEM is a video series that highlights exciting and unexpected careers at NASA. Each episode highlights a member of NASA’s workforce, focusing on their unique job and how their personal journey led them to that career.

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