Abstract
IN opening the Congress of the International Association for Testing Materials at the Institution of Civil Engineers on April 19 and in welcoming the visitors from abroad, Sir William Bragg suggested that the name did not quite fully convey the extent of the Association's work and interests, which include the investigation of the nature and properties of materials and make use of the whole range of available methods, from the most highly scientific to those which are entirely empirical. This is well illustrated in the range of papers which have been presented by prominent workers in this exploratory field and engaged in most, if not all, of the twenty-five countries which were represented at this meeting. The function of the Association is to secure international co-operation and an exchange of views, experience and knowledge in regard to materials and their testing. As has been pointed out by Dr. H. J. Gough, chairman of the British Committee responsible for the arrangements, the achievements of this age of great scientific and technical development owe much to the present-day knowledge and skilful use of the properties of materials. Direct application of these are of prime importance in transport, power generation and supply, construction, inter-communication and even in some forms of entertainment. Further, the study of existing materials leads to the production of new and improved materials, and it is this study which the Association promotes and, by means of such as the present Congress, the results and ideas are discussed. Once entirely empirical, the study of materials is now developing along lines of scientific method and, in due course, may become established as a true science.
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International Association for Testing Materials: London Congress. Nature 139, 765–768 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139765a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139765a0