Visions of the Future : Chemistry and Life Science

Leadin g you n g scien t ist s, m an y h oldin g prest igiou s Royal Societ y Research Fellow sh ips, describe t h eir research an d give t h eir vision s of t h e fu t u re. T h e art icles, w h ich h ave been re-w rit t en in a popu lar an d w ell-illu st rat ed st yle, are derived from sch olarly an d au t h orit at ive papers pu b-lish ed in a special M illen n iu m Issu e of t h e Royal Societ y's Ph ilosoph ical Tran sact ion s (u sed by N ew t on ; t h is is t h e w orld's lon gest-ru n n in g scien-t ifi c jou rn al). T h e t opics, w h ich w ere carefu lly select ed by t h e jou rn al's edit or, Professor J. M. T. T h om pson FRS, in clu de st u dies of at om s an d m ol-ecu les in m ot ion ; n ew processes an d m at erials; n at u re's secret s of biological grow t h an d form ; progress in u n derst an din g t h e h u m an body an d m in d. T h e book con veys t h e excit em en t an d en t h u siasm of t h e you n g au t h ors for t h eir w ork in ch em ist ry an d life scien ce. Tw o com pan ion book s cover ast ron om y an d eart h scien ce, an d ph ysics an d elect ron ics. All are defi n it ive review s for an yon e w it h a gen eral in t erest in t h e fu t u re direct ion s of scien ce. M ic h a el T h o mpso n is cu rren t ly Edit or of t h e Royal Societ y's Ph ilosoph ical Tran sact ion s (Series A). H e gradu at ed from C am bridge w it h fi rst class h on ou …