THE DA VINCI PROFILE – BREADTH AND DEPTH
By Susan L. S. Stipp | December, 2009
Leonardo da Vinci was the Renaissance man. He is known as an artist, a musician, a scientist, an engineer and an inventor. His sketches and writings demonstrate that he was able to draw on a vast and profound understanding of nature. His knowledge base was both broad and deep.
All GLITTERS…
By accuHap McSween | October, 2009
My father had lots of wise aphorisms, including “All that glitters is not gold.” That old saying and this interesting Elements issue on gold prompt a timely perspective on how we conduct and archive our science. Mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry—the main subjects of interest to the societies for which Elements was founded—have grown substantially in the numbers of practitioners and in their capacities to churn out huge amounts of analytical, experimental, and computational data. In fact, the volumes of data have become so large that government agencies are now exploring comprehensive, computer-based databases that can be interactively searched and utilized in research. But before these databases actually become reality, a fair question to ask is: What are the gold standards for data, and how much data actually meet those standards?
MAGNETISM AND MAGNETISM
By David Vaughan | August, 2009
Magnetism, the subject of this issue of Elements, was probably the first ‘invisible’ physical force to be investigated by humankind (with the obvious exception of gravity). Indeed it was the subject of the first major scientific treatise written in the English-speaking world (De Magnete, by William Gilbert, published in 1600). From the ancients’ use of lodestone in the first primitive compass to modern industrial applications in electronics and computing, magnetism is a force which has fascinated and, at times, bemused those seeking to understand it. Although the essential principles and laws of electromagnetism were laid down in the 19th century and their application made a major contribution to the industrial revolution, a unified theory embracing the electromagnetic, gravitational, and weak and strong nuclear forces continues to elude physicists. Such a theory remains the holy grail for theoreticians.
GEMS, RICHES, WEALTH AND FINANCE
By David Vaughan1 | June, 2009
As I sit down to write this editorial, the world is faced with the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, possibly the greatest such crisis ever. It is perhaps an ironic coincidence that the theme of this issue of Elements concerns the highest-value materials we take from the Earth, the gemstones which have been symbols of wealth and power since the earliest civilisations. But we should not forget that the beauty of even the most modest of precious and semi-precious stones has also given great pleasure to many of us at one time or another.
WHO SHOULD DECIDE HOW RESEARCH FUNDING IS SPENT?
By Susan L. Svane Stipp | April, 2009
Financial support for universities and government research institutions comes mostly from taxpayers. Funding for research projects comes from taxpayers, private foundations and industry. The purpose of research is to find answers to questions of importance to society, to industry, or to the researcher him/herself. Who should decide which research questions are most deserving of funding?
THE ECONOMY AND THE MOON
By E. Bruce Watson | February, 2009
This is my last editorial contribution as a principal editor of Elements, and I write it during a week that is unique in history. Americans are celebrating the election of our first African-American president—a remarkable, unifying event considered by most to have been improbable in the lifetimes of people my age. It is, however, a time of poignantly juxtaposed emotions: there is, on the one hand, the good feeling and pride in our country and our fellow citizens for having done something extraordinary, but at the same time there is widespread uneasiness about the economic future of the U.S. and the world. Closer to the immediate interests of our scientific community, there is uncertainty about how the policies of the new administration will affect (and be affected by) scientific endeavor both nationally and internationally.