https://conormacdonald.com.au/tags/research/ Recent content in Research on Conor MacDonald Hugo -- gohugo.io en Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://conormacdonald.com.au/posts/metamaterials-01-what-is-a-metamaterial/ Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://conormacdonald.com.au/posts/metamaterials-01-what-is-a-metamaterial/ <h2 class="relative group">Why I&rsquo;m Writing This <div id="why-im-writing-this" class="anchor"></div> <span class="absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100 select-none"> <a class="text-primary-300 dark:text-neutral-700 !no-underline" href="#why-im-writing-this" aria-label="Anchor">#</a> </span> </h2> <p>Between 2017 and 2018, I started a PhD candidature in acoustic metamaterials at the University of Adelaide. The research focus was nonlinear acoustic metamaterials with chaotic spring responses for low-frequency sound suppression. It ended at the 12-month review, a combination of inadequate supervision, gaps in my own mathematical background, and a research environment that didn&rsquo;t quite set me up for success. I left feeling frustrated and, honestly, a bit defeated.</p>