The Granular Matter GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Grains are everywhere. While many natural materials are granular, such as sand, regolith, snow, and soil, numerous others of critical economic importance use granular materials as feedstock, such as in construction (e.g. metals, glass, concrete) and consumables (e.g. food, medicines, cosmetics). Frameworks developed for granular materials can also be applied to seemingly unrelated systems such as traffic, crowded cellular environments, and foams. Understanding the complex behavior of granular matter is thus an interdisciplinary challenge spanning physics, earth science, engineering, biology and other areas.
The 12th Granular Matter GRC brings together people from research and applied backgrounds to discuss four overarching goals:
(i) Obtain a fundamental understanding of the physics of granular matter.
(ii) Develop predictive tools for modeling industrial and geological processes.
(iii) Design innovative ways of measuring, manipulating, and using granular materials.
(iv) Explore the frontiers where granular research intersects with the study of living systems, space and earth sciences, the formulation of transformative consumer products, and artificial intelligence.
