Here is a video from the Seed magazine called Science in Silico. The video shows results from large scale simulations (and visualization) of fractals, microscopic dynamic processes in ribosomes, structure of viruses, bacterial flagellum, turbulence, explosions, and the modelling of cosmological events.

iMechanica was lunched on 9 September 2006. It took about five months for iMechanica to see its 1000th registered user. Today we are welcoming the 2000th registered user after only another two and half months.

This message about a new book came over the PoroNet (poroelasticity network) mailing list:

Dear Colleagues:

      I would like to inform you that my book "Micromechanics of Heterogeneous Materials” (containing around 700 pages, 140 figures, 3000 formulae, and 1200 references) should be published by Springer on 07.06.07. [Details are on the web http://www.springer.com/west/home/engineering?SGWID=4-175-22-173670290-… ] .

      In the framework of a unique scheme of the proposed multiparticle effective field method, we have undertaken in this book an attempt to analyze the wide class of statical and dynamical, local and nonlocal, linear and nonlinear multiscale problems of composite materials with deterministic (periodic and nonperiodic), random (statistically homogeneous and inhomogeneous, so-called graded) and mixed (periodic structures with random imperfections) structures in bounded and unbounded domains, containing coated or uncoated inclusions of any shape and orientation and subjected to coupled or uncoupled, homogeneous or inhomogeneous external fields of different physical natures.

        Any the remarks and comments regarding the book will be fully appreciated.

The present paper studies the effect of intracranial temperature (ICT) change on intracranial pressure (ICP). Thermal and mechanical effects were analyzed using a 3D finite element model of the human head.

Dr. Suo's group is recently studying the sharp features such as corners or edges. It becomes important to characterize fracture behaviors at corners and edges in microelectronics.

I have two questions,

Kevin P. Granata, 45, of Blacksburg, beloved husband and father, loving son and brother, passed away Monday, April 16, 2007. Kevin was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. He began his bachelor's studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio and then transferred to Ohio State University where he received degrees in electrical engineering and physics. He later earned a Master's degree in physics from Purdue University and was employed by the Applied Physics Lab in Maryland where he did classified research. He returned to Ohio State University and completed his Ph. D. in Biomedical Engineering, continuing his research until he transferred to the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Virginia, where he was the director the Gait Lab In 2002, Kevin came to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. to continue his teaching and research interests. He had numerous publications and research grants and lectured both nationally and internationally. Kevin's greatest passion and pride was his family, especially his wife and children. He was also an athlete. He rowed crew at Purdue, participated in biathlons and triathlons and was an avid runner and cyclist. He loved coaching his sons' Lacrosse teams, reading and doing construction around his home and was a member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. Kevin believed in being a well-rounded person and he successfully used his talents to the utmost, academically, physically and spiritually. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by wife, Linda (nee Ankenman); sons, Alex and Eric; and daughter, Ellen; parents, Mildred and Joseph Granata (Toledo); brother, Paul; sisters, Eileen and Anne; and numerous nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles. A public memorial service will be held at the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2007. A private funeral will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Kevin P. Granata Memorial Trust, 1872 Pratt Drive, Blacksburg, Va, 24068. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Drive, Blacksburg, Va.

Upon hearing the painful news of VPI tragedy, I am deeply saddened that we lost our young students and fellow faculty, in particular, Liviu Librescu, G. V. Loganathan and Kevin Granata. I would like to share the sorrow with the family and friends of the victims who lost their lives in the senseless crime. I am deeply compelled to write this message, since I am a faculty teaching young students applied mechanics/engineering like professors Librescu, Loganathan and Granata, and belong to a small community of Korean Americans. I feel helpless and guilty that I could not mentor our young people and hear such incomprehensible tragic news.