Sep 28 2006
Voting for the world’s greatest moments in materials science and engineering history has begun via an online survey at http://www.materialmoments.org/survey.html, developed by JOM, the journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS). The top ten materials moments will be spotlighted at the TMS 2007 Annual Meeting & Exhibition, to be held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida, February 25–March 1.
Professionals in the materials field as well as the general public may vote for their top ten moments from a list of 100 nominees. The deadline for voting is December 31, 2006. The list includes moments such as smelted copper being observed in a fire pit in 8000 BC, which brought about the birth of extractive metallurgy; French chemist Count Hilaire de Chardonnet building the first commercial rayon plant in 1891, which enabled commercial production of synthetic fibers; the splitting of the uranium atom by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in 1939, which ultimately lead to both nuclear power and weapons; the invention of the transistor by John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William Shockley, which created the building block for modern electronics; and Don Eigler spelling out “IBM” at the nano-level by manipulating xenon atoms, which demonstrated the idea of bottoms-up manufacture.
Visit http://www.materialmoments.org for all 100 nominees as well as an explanation of the methodology used to compile the list.
“As I read through the list of 100, I am in awe of the impact materials have had on our world. All aspects of our quality of life have either been enabled by, or certainly facilitated by, these accomplishments,” said Diran Apelian, professor of mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and 2007 vice president of TMS. “On a personal level, I feel proud to be part of this community. Each of these moments shines in its own way; however, together, these moments create an amazing and beautiful tapestry proclaiming the wonders of human innovation.”
“Reading through the list of 100 Great Material Moments provides a concise history of the entire materials field,” said Warren Hunt, executive director of TMS. “As we look through the moments, there are a lot of things that we enjoy today that have their foundations in developments that took place years ago. As a society, the foundations of TMS date back many years. For both the materials profession and TMS, our future is built on our past.”
JOM is presenting the greatest materials moments in commemoration of TMS’s 50th anniversary in 2007 as a member society of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). The announcement of the top ten materials moments at the society’s annual meeting will inaugurate three days of plenary sessions covering the last 50 years of technological progress in materials, and the future direction of materials science and engineering.
“As a society dedicated to the service of the materials science and engineering community, it is important for TMS to reminisce on the glorious past of the profession,” said Brajendra Mishra, 2006 TMS president. “I believe it is vital to remind ourselves of those marvelous moments in metals and materials invention that will undoubtedly shape the future of mankind. What better time to do it than on the 50th anniversary of TMS?”
JOM, the member journal of TMS, has long enjoyed opportunities to highlight the role of materials in society. On its pages, readers have found descriptions of such ancient processes as Damascus steel making and lost-wax casting. Unforgettable moments in history—the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia and the sinking of the Titanic, for example—have also been explored from a materials science perspective. Thus, it is fitting for JOM to honor TMS on its 50th anniversary by considering the top 100 moments that have shaped materials science.
“We wanted to do something that would draw attention to the materials science and engineering community from the general public and that would generate lively discussion and debate within the materials community itself,” said James J. Robinson, editor of JOM. “Trying to identify the most significant moments in the world’s most significant enabling technology seemed an apt initiative considering the journal’s reputation for exploring more than current materials developments.”
TMS is the professional organization encompassing the entire range of materials science and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. Included among its professional and student members are metallurgical and materials engineers, scientists, researchers, educators and administrators from more than 70 countries on six continents.
The TMS 2007 Annual Meeting will feature technical programming in the topical areas of light metals; extraction, processing, structure and properties; and emerging materials. Nearly 50 symposia are scheduled as well as workshops, short courses and networking events. Last year, some 3,800 materials professionals from industry, academia and government attended this interdisciplinary conference; more than 40% traveled from outside the United States. For additional details on the TMS annual meeting and exhibition, visit http://www.tms.org/annualmeeting.html.