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Volume 24, No. 12 December 1999 |
A Publication of the Materials Research Society
A Publication of the Materials Research Society |
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Behind the Themes and Between the Lines The MRS Bulletin usually lives in the dynamic present, moving with the ebb and flow of the materials community, not wanting to dwell on the past or risk predicting the future. Yet, the strong current of the year 2000 and the slight tug of the 25-year history of MRS Bulletin swept us into its grasp. So, in 2000 we will supplement the usual technical themes and departments of the Bulletin with a series of articles grounded in the current state of materials, but designed to start a dialogue in the materials community about future directions research might take. It is a new year, and by the end of the series it will be a new millennium. History tells us that civilization is anchored on materials. So, yes, it is time to pause, reflect, and make sure we have considered all of the possibilities. V.S. Arunachalam, who orchestrated this series of articles, will set the tone in January with a brief editorial. Then Alan Cottrell steps back and gives a running start with "A Centennial Report," illustrating how far materials research has come in the past century, and showing that a brief glance in the rearview mirror can help determine vectors for the future. Then a collection of features, written by eminent leaders in the materials community, will speculate on the role materials might play in specific societal sectors: Beyond steel and concrete, what will form the fabric of our homes, offices, and roads? After cars and airplanes, what materials will carry us from place to place? When Moore's law becomes passé, what will pave the next communications highway? How will materials sculpt and rejuvenate our bodies and our minds? How will we generate and capture the energy we need to fuel the society of the future? These articles will extrapolate and speculate on the materials our society would need in the coming century and beyond for habitat, transportation, information technology, medicine, and energy generation. Cutting across even these broad societal sectors, we will examine issues of manufacturing, environment, education, and the global economy. Robert W. Cahn then looks to the future of research itself, addressing as-yet unanswered scientific questions-answers to which will propel technology for ages to come. These predictions, if nothing else, will help frame the research issues that may become important in the coming years. The materials field has developed from one of finding and using materials to one where the materials essentially can be designed and tailored, atom by atom. What will the next century uncover as we dive deeper? Elizabeth L. Fleischer, Editor |
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