内容简介

Newly appointed or newly promoted professors at Imperial College are required to give an inaugural lecture on a subject of their choosing. The professors inevitably talk about areas of their subject on which they are expert, but the lectures are presented in such a way that they appeal to a wide ranging audience, from those who have little knowledge of the subject to those who are comparatively expert in the field. These written versions of six such lectures are aimed at readers who have some knowledge of, and interest in, materials science and engineering. They should also be of interest to those who are well versed in the subject. ...