Michael Cates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Cates
FRS FRSE HonFInstP
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Cates in 2012
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Michael Elmhirst Cates
5 May 1961 Bristol, England, United Kingdom
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| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Education | Trinity College, Cambridge (PhD) |
| Awards | Maxwell Medal and Prize (1991) Paul Dirac Medal and Prize (2009) Weissenberg Award (2013) Bingham Medal (2016) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics Soft matter |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge University of Edinburgh |
| Thesis | The statistical mechanics of complex polymers (1985) |
| Doctoral advisor | Sir Sam Edwards |
Michael Elmhirst Cates (born May 5, 1961) is a British physicist. He is a very important professor at the University of Cambridge. He holds a special job called the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. This position has been held by famous scientists like Isaac Newton! He has had this job since July 1, 2015. Before this, he was a professor at the University of Edinburgh.
Contents
What Does Michael Cates Study?
Professor Cates studies something called soft matter. This includes everyday things like polymers (plastics), colloids (like milk), gels (like jelly), and liquid crystals (used in screens). He also studies granular material, which are things made of many small pieces, like sand.
Understanding How Materials Flow
A big part of his work is trying to create mathematical models. These models help predict how a material will move or change shape when force is applied. Imagine pushing on a blob of slime. How will it stretch or flow? His models help answer these questions. These special math models are called constitutive equations.
Active Matter: Things That Move Themselves
He also studies "active matter." This includes things like groups of tiny self-propelled particles. An example could be many tiny bacteria swimming together. He looks at how these groups behave and move.
His Research at Edinburgh
While at Edinburgh, Professor Cates led a big research project. It was about designing new types of soft materials. This project received a special grant to help fund the research. Even though he moved to Cambridge, he is still an honorary professor at Edinburgh.
His Journey in Science
Early Life and Learning
Michael Cates was born on May 5, 1961. He studied Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned his PhD there in 1985. His teacher was a famous scientist named Sam Edwards.
Academic Career
Before moving to Edinburgh in 1995, Professor Cates worked at the Cavendish Laboratory. This is a famous research center at the University of Cambridge.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Cates has won many important awards for his work.
- In 2016, he won the Bingham Medal. This is a top award from the US Society of Rheology. Rheology is the study of how materials flow.
- He also won the Weissenberg Award in 2013.
- In 2009, he received the Gold Medal from the British Society of Rheology.
- He was awarded the Dirac Prize by the Institute of Physics in 2009.
- In 1991, he won the Maxwell Medal and Prize.
He has also been an elected member of the Council of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected scientific group. In 2019, he was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his important research on how complex fluids move and change.
His Scientific Publications
Michael Cates has written over 350 scientific papers. These papers have been cited by other scientists more than 45,000 times. This shows how important and influential his work is in the world of science.
