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The science of friction -- and its surprising impact on our lives

2,358,508 views | Jennifer Vail • TED@DuPont

Tribology: it's a funny-sounding word you might not have heard before, but it could change how you see and interact with the physical world, says mechanical engineer Jennifer Vail. Offering lessons from tribology -- the study of friction and wear -- Vail describes the surprisingly varied ways it impacts everyday life and how it could help us make a better world.

Tribology: it's a funny-sounding word you might not have heard before, but it could change how you see and interact with the physical world, says mechanical engineer Jennifer Vail. Offering lessons from tribology -- the study of friction and wear -- Vail describes the surprisingly varied ways it impacts everyday life and how it could help us make a better world.

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About the speaker

Jennifer Vail

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Jennifer Vail combines mechanical engineering and materials science to investigate interacting surfaces in relative motion.

ARPA-E, 2017 | Article

"Tribology Opportunities for Enhancing America's Energy Efficiency"

This is the study/workshop that my colleagues and I participated in, which led to discovering all sorts of ways tribology can save energy.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

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