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Zoe Laughlin
Zoe Laughlin in 2011
Alma mater
Organizations
Known forMaking, art, materials science and engineering
Websitehttp://zoelaughlin.com/

Zoe Laughlin (/ˈlɑːflɪn/) is a British artist, maker and materials engineer. She is the co-founder and Director of the Institute of Making at University College London. She is a regular panelist on the BBC Radio 4 show The Kitchen Cabinet. Laughlin was awarded the 2019 Inspire, Support Achieve Award for Design Engineering from the Institution of Engineering Designers.

Education

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Laughlin took A-Levels in Art, Textiles and English Literature[1] and completed a Masters of Art at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. She earned a PhD in Material Science in the Department of Engineering at King's College London in 2010.[2]

Research

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During her PhD, Laughlin discovered how materials affects the taste of food, and how to predict the taste of food using electrode potential.[3][4] Her thesis, "Beyond the Swatch: How can the Science of Materials be Represented by the Materials Themselves in a Materials Library?", became the basis for the methodological approaches of the Institute of Making and some of its research.[5][6] The experiments Laughlin undertook were designed to identify the links between the physical properties of materials and our aesthetic perception of materiality.[7] As a result, she has been key to the development of the concept of Sensoaesthetics, which is the "application of scientific methodology to the aesthetic, sensual and emotional side" of materials.[8]

Career

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Copper, gold, silver, tin, zinc, chrome and stainless steel sensoaesthetic tasting spoons by Zoe Laughlin

In 2010/11, Mark Miodownik, Martin Conreen and Laughlin began working on the Institute of Making, which they planned to open in the east wing of Somerset House.[9] In February 2012, they joined University College London, and launched "A Taste of Materials" in April 2012.[10] She published Material Matters: New Materials in Design with Black Dog Publishing.[11] Their Materials Library and Make Space opened in Malet Place on 14 March 2013.[12][13][14]

Laughlin has created work and done projects with partners and galleries including Tate Modern, the Hayward Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wellcome Collection.[15][16][17] In 2016 her spoons became part of the new permanent collection of London's Design Museum and are on display in the Designer Maker User gallery.[18]

Laughlin is interested in the sound of and taste of materials, as well as what she terms "the performativity of matter".[19] She regularly speaks about materials and performs demonstration lectures.[20][21] In 2012 she delivered a TEDx talk in Brussels on "The Performativity of Matter".[22][23]

She is a trustee of the Crafts Council, and works with them to integrate new materials and making methods into the crafts sector.[24][25] Laughlin was honoured by the Institution of Engineering Designers for her "outstanding contributions to design engineering".[26]

Laughlin produces and hosts the podcast The Things that Make Us.[27][28] She appears regularly on British radio and television, and gives invited talks on material science in Britain and around the world.[29][30][31] She has appeared on the Today Programme and "The Material Word" with Quentin Cooper.[32][33][34] In 2016, Laughlin delivered an invited talk at The Royal Institution, "Performing Matter: Greatest Hits and New Findings".[35]

Broadcasting

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This Morning

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Laughlin was the resident scientist on ITV's long running series This Morning, hosting the regular bi-weekly feature "Wonderstuff".[36][37] On the show, Laughlin introduced Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby to many marvellous materials and conducted numerous demonstrations including smelting copper and turning milk to plastic.[38][39][40] In 2019 she returned to the show with a bang for a run of spectacular demonstrations[41] including dripping a monster slime from the studio ceiling[42] and ripping oxygen from hydrogen peroxide.[43]

The Kitchen Cabinet

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Laughlin was asked on to BBC Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet as a guest in 2015 and has since become their resident materials expert.[44] The May 2016 episode, from Sandwich, Kent, was recorded in Laughlin's old school hall.[45]

Big Life Fix

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Laughlin was a maker of tea on the BBC Two television programme Big Life Fix.[46][47][48] In the show, a team of designers and inventors created solutions, often as simple as repurposing everyday objects, to change people's lives.[49][50] On the show, Laughlin designed a number of items, including a lightweight, durable foam helmet for a child who suffers from hydrocephalus.[51] Laughlin described the experience as "a great show to be part of".[52] In Series 2, "Inventing the Impossible: Big Life Fix" Laughlin made a "second skin" for a young man with Xeroderma Pigmentosum[53][54] and a pair of robotic gloves that gave movement back to a man with paralysed hands.[55]

Fireworks for a Tudor Queen

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In 2017 Laughlin and Lucy Worsley presented a 90-minute BBC Four programme exploring the history of fireworks, Fizz Bang Wallop - A Tudor Firework Spectacular.[56] The show, Fireworks for a Tudor Queen, was broadcast in March 2018.

The Secret Life of Landfill

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In the spring of 2018 Laughlin and George McGavin made a BBC Four documentary The Secret Life of Landfill: A Rubbish History, exploring the fate and future of rubbish deposited in landfill sites.[57][58]

The Secret Story of Stuff

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In summer 2018 Laughlin wrote and presented her own show for BBC Four entitled The Secret Story of Stuff: Materials for the Modern Age, blending "bonhomie, excitement and expertise in perfect proportions".[59] In the programme she performed a number of demonstrations to reveal the wonderous properties of materials, including a test of the thermally insulative equalities of mycelium using a high-powered blow touch and ice-cream.[60][61] The show was first broadcast in the autumn of 2018 and has subsequently been repeated.[62]

Plane Spotting Live

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Over the course of 3 consecutive nights in June 2019, Laughlin co-presented Plane Spotting Live[63] for BBC Four with Peter Snow and Andi Peters. The programme was broadcast live from a set constructed on East Midlands Aeropark, alongside the runway of East Midlands Airport.[64]

How to Make

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In How to Make,[65] Laughlin deconstructs everyday items - training shoes, a toothbrush, and a pair of headphones - examining the materials they're made of and re-making a customised version of each. This BBC Four series first aired on 2 April 2020 and was produced in connection with the Open University.

Television appearances

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References

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  1. ^ Bryan, Stephanie. "Science talk on 'Performing Matter' engages girls". www.stmaryscalne.org. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Zoe Laughlin - Research Portal, King's College, London". kclpure.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  3. ^ Laughlin, Zoe; Conreen, Martin; Witchel, Harry J.; Miodownik, Mark (1 October 2011). "The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals" (PDF). Food Quality and Preference. 22 (7): 628–637. doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2011.03.012. ISSN 0950-3293.
  4. ^ "Tasting spoons: Assessing how the material of a spoon affects the taste of the food". Food Quality and Preference. 24 (1): 24–29. April 2012. doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2011.08.005.
  5. ^ "Sensoaesthetic Materials - Research". Institute of Making. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  6. ^ "UCL Institute of Making's cabinet of curiosities". Times Higher Education (THE). 18 April 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  7. ^ Karana, Elvin; Pedgley, Owain; Rognoli, Valentina, eds. (24 October 2013). Materials experience: fundamentals of materials and design. Oxford: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-08-099376-8. OCLC 862961523.
  8. ^ "Sensoaesthetic materials".
  9. ^ "Materials engineer Mark Miodownik - The Engineer". www.theengineer.co.uk. 16 October 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  10. ^ "A Taste of Materials - UCL Engineering". www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  11. ^ Howes, Philip (2012). Material matters: new materials in design. Laughlin, Zoe, 1981-. London: Black Dog Pub. ISBN 978-1-907317-73-6. OCLC 744288230.
  12. ^ "First Year Report: Institute of Making" (PDF). UCL. 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Materials - Materials Library". Institute of Making. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  14. ^ "open movement°". open movement°. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  15. ^ "The Stuff of Memory: Symposium". 13 July 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Launch: Playing Up – Live Art for adults and kids – Special Event at Tate Modern". Tate. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  17. ^ "The Essence of Flourescence [sic] at the Hayward Gallery". Institute of Making. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Designer Maker User". Design Museum. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  19. ^ "Zoe Laughlin - RSA". www.thersa.org. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  20. ^ "RSA Makers Summit 2015 - RSA". www.thersa.org. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  21. ^ "Making Matters - RSA". www.thersa.org. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  22. ^ TEDx Talks (14 November 2012), The Performativity of Matter: Zoe Laughlin at TEDxBrussels, retrieved 22 February 2018
  23. ^ "The Big Bang Event". ZN Consulting. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Session 1: Materials - Crafts Council". www.craftscouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  25. ^ "Zoe Laughlin: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  26. ^ "IED | Home Page". Institution Engineering Designers. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  27. ^ "The Things That Make Us by Zoe Laughlin". Apple Podcasts. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Podcast". The Things That Make Us. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  29. ^ "Fourth Annual Alumni Dinner". www.cs.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  30. ^ "Rachel Pimm in conversation with Zoe Laughlin". Jerwood Visual Arts. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  31. ^ brunswick (28 August 2012). "Zoe Laughlin: The Performativity of Matter". Science Gallery. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  32. ^ "BBC - Radio 4 - The Material World 05/04/2007". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  33. ^ "BBC - Radio 4 - The Material World 2/3/2006". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  34. ^ "Can the metal from a spoon affect your taste?, 29/01/2015, Today - BBC Radio 4". BBC. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  35. ^ "Performing matter: Greatest hits and new findings". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  36. ^ "Dr Zoe Laughlin". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  37. ^ "Ketchup with Wonderstuff". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  38. ^ "Wonderstuff finds fun in everyday objects". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  39. ^ "Wonderstuff makes magic metal". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  40. ^ "Thanks to today's Wonderstuff team!". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  41. ^ "Science experiments to blow your mind!". www.itv.com. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  42. ^ Warner, Sam (4 April 2019). "This Morning's Phil looks unimpressed after experiment gets slime on shoes". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  43. ^ Rosseinsky, Katie (4 April 2019). "Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield wreak havoc on This Morning studio with explosive science experiment". Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  44. ^ "The Kitchen Cabinet". Zoe Laughlin. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  45. ^ "Sandwich, Series 13, The Kitchen Cabinet - BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  46. ^ "CCHQ Weekly Round-up, 2 December 2016 - Crafts Council". www.craftscouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  47. ^ "Simon Reeve: 'The Big Life Fix will help thousands of people!'". What' s on TV. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  48. ^ "Series 1, The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve - Zoe Laughlin - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  49. ^ "Using science to change lives: 'The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve'". theboar.org. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  50. ^ "The Big Life Fix". Zoe Laughlin. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  51. ^ "Shine member Rosie receives the best Christmas present…". Shine Charity. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  52. ^ "Making Space". www.ucl.ac.uk. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  53. ^ "Man with sun allergy gets mask that looks exactly like him to stop skin frying". Metro. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  54. ^ "BBC Two - The Big Life Fix, Inventing the Impossible, Episode 1, Meet Alex - the man allergic to sunlight". BBC. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  55. ^ "BBC Two - The Big Life Fix, Inventing the Impossible, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  56. ^ "BBC - BBC Four - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  57. ^ Walton, James (25 August 2018). "I had no idea how fascinating rubbish could be: The Secret Life of Landfill reviewed". The Spectator. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  58. ^ "The Secret Life of Landfill: A Rubbish History". BBC Four. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  59. ^ Mangan, Lucy (31 October 2018). "The Secret Story of Stuff review – inventions provoke awe and wonder – and hope". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  60. ^ "BBC Four - The Secret Story of Stuff: Materials of the Modern Age, Mushroom mycelium makes ingenius insulation". BBC. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  61. ^ Mangan, Lucy (31 October 2018). "The Secret Story of Stuff review – inventions provoke awe and wonder – and hope". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  62. ^ "BBC Four - The Secret Story of Stuff: Materials of the Modern Age". BBC. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  63. ^ "BBC Four - Planespotting Live". BBC. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  64. ^ Williams, Ken. "planespottinglive". www.eastmidlandsaeropark.org. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  65. ^ "BBC Four - How to Make". BBC. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  66. ^ "BBC - Christmas University Challenge alumni line-up announced - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
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