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Every time you use a TV, a digital watch, or a calculator, you are looking through a liquid crystal display. But how exactly does a simple molecule transform into complex technology?

If you visit the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University, you will find many students researching in the labs. Some students may even be working on their own scientific discoveries and patents. A liquid crystal can be manipulated by heat and light to create new technology.

Graduate student Fred Minkowski specializes in developing elastomers. These are used to create artificial muscles that heat and then contract the way a real muscle does.

The LCI is the world’s first research center focused on the study of liquid crystals. This year the institute is celebrating its 50th anniversary. In the fall of 2015, the institute will launch a new graduate program for students to earn their PhD in Liquid Crystal Engineering.

The researchers of LCI are paving the way for a lighter, brighter future.

For Broadcast Beat Reporting, I’m Gabrielle Payne.