Despite the long history of materials development, materials science as a distinct discipline only came of age in the 20th century. It was brought into existence as a result two developments.
Firstly, society needed to understand complex materials, on which it was becoming ever more dependent such as the silicon chip, jet engine alloys, plastics, optical fibres, medical implants, etc. Secondly, it became increasing clear that materials could not be understood by the study of physics, chemistry or biology alone.
Materials science in the 21st century is making a world possible where buildings harvest their own energy, bridges repair themselves, and clothes increase life expectancy by monitoring health. Many possible realities are possible, each driven by different cultural and economic forces. We could find ourselves in the grip of mass migrations, with declining life expectancy, and dealing with global pollution. Which future will we choose?
In this lecture, Professor Miodownik argues that only a deeper understanding of materials science will allow us to navigate the future successfully.
This event is the 2017 Michael Faraday Prize lecture.
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