(112c) A Journey through Colloids and Friendship

Colloidal suspensions exhibit a remarkable richness and complexity in behavior, even the simple yet elegant model system of smooth, hard spheres in a Newtonian solvent. They can transition predictably from highly mobile and fluid-like states to surprisingly strong solids, but they can also follow paths of their own that we do not expect, avoiding simple phase separation and crystallization to instead produce beautiful, deeply complex glasses and gels, or undergo complex re-ordering and flow under stress. These transitions continually surprise us with their capacity to reveal new insights and produce new materials. My friendship with Jim Swan mirrored this beauty, complexity, richness, and intellectual satisfaction for a decade and a half. I will talk today about my favorite things about Jim, his work, and our friendship that enriched my life and that of many others and will influence it for decades to come.