How New Materials Change History

The recent digital revolution, for all of its wonders and all of its effects on society, is nothing compared to the past revolutions in materials. New materials have caused the rise and fall of civilizations, created untold wealth, and have been at the heart of untold technical innovations.

As extraordinary as these past events have been, I believe they will be dwarfed by the coming materials revolution, as we gain mastery of still nascent technologies like nanotech and cellular-based manufacture.

The first part of this talk is a lively exploration of some of history’s most notable materials advances. The talk concludes with thoughts on the current and coming materials revolution, how we can prepare for it, and how we can help shape it.