News & Comment

Virtual worlds such as Second Life have been perceived as a social meeting point for a small following of devotees. A number of serious emerging mainstream applications may fundamentally alter this perception.

Virtual worlds such as Second Life present an intriguing premise for scientific use. But are the benefits sufficiently clear for widespread uptake?

The future role of NASA in human space exploration remains economically uncertain. Should materials scientists care?

Richard Feynman's talk anticipating nanotechnology was inspirational, but no blueprint.

Organic semiconductors could one day be used in new types of spintronic devices. Before realistic applications can be achieved however, more experimental and theoretical work is needed to understand the mechanism of spin injection and spin transport.

In 2004, after two decades' worth of experience investigating the photophysical properties of conducting polymers, Z. Valy Vardeny demonstrated a spin valve with an organic active layer. Nature Materials asked him about his views on the achievements in organic spintronics and the future of the field.

Although it is tempting to compare organic semiconductors with their inorganic counterparts, the spin-injection and spin-transport properties are fundamentally different. The challenges in understanding and improving such properties make organic spintronics an exciting field in its own right.

As moves towards open-access schemes gain momentum, the choice between 'author pays' and subscription-based models may come down to fundamental business considerations rather than limits in access to original research.

2009 is turning out to be an interesting year for research funding in the UK. Everyone wants the best science to be funded, but it's not clear that the proposed policy changes will achieve this.

Robert Langer has spent more than 30 years working with biomaterials and has seen their development from simple implants to complex multifunctional interfaces with the body. He shares his vision of the field's origins and what the future holds with Nature Materials.

Rapid developments are afoot in the field of biomaterials, and are likely to have major effects on patient care soon. But science isn't the only thing defining the pace of progress.