Commentary in 2002

If you want to know the state of a hot field in materials research, then make sure you watch the patent database.

The verdict returned by an inquiry into scientific misconduct by Bell Labs researchers left many in the community feeling stunned. Where do we go from here?

A method for predicting crystal structures from just molecular formulae has eluded scientists for more than 50 years. The problem is currently being addressed by two very different approaches. But which one is more likely to succeed?

Economics is often called the dismal science, but to many outsiders materials research is still the dirty science. Robert Cahn explains why materials scientists should be proud of their history.