Page 8 - Visions of the Future Chemistry and Life Science

Preface

Writing here in a popular and well illustrated style, leading young scien-
tists describe their research and give their visions of future developm ents.
The book conveys the excitem ent and enthusiasm of the young authors. It
t
offers definitive reviews for people with a general interest in he future
t
directions of science, ranging from researchers o scientifically m inded
school children.
All the contributions are popular presentations based on scholarly and
authoritative papers that the authors published in three special
Millennium Issues of the Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions. This
has he prestige of being the world’s longest running scientific journal.
t
Founded in 1665, it has been publishing cutting-edge science for one third
of a m illennium . It was used by Isaac N ewton o launch his scientific
t
career in 1672 with his first paper ‘N ew Theory about Light and Colours’.
Under N ewton’s Presidency, from 1703 to his death in 1727, the reputation
of the Royal Society was firm ly established am ong the scholars of Europe,
t
t
and oday it is he UK’s academ y of science. Many of the authors are
supported financially by the Society under its prestigious Research
Fellowships schem e.
Series A of the Philosophical Transactions is devoted to the whole of
physical science, and as its Editor I m ade a careful selection of m aterial to
cover subjects that are growing rapidly, and likely to be of long-term inter-
est and significance. Each contribution describes som e recent cutting-edge
research, as well as putting it in its wider context, and looking forward to
future developm ents. The collection gives a unique snapshot of the state
t
t
of physical science at he urn of the m illennium , while CVs and pho-
tographs of the authors give a personal perspective.
The three Millennium Issues of the journal have been distilled into
three corresponding books by Cam bridge University Press. These cover

vii