Materials scientists and engineers are developing important new materials to meet the needs of the ever-changing technological society. These include high-temperature superconductors; high-strength alloys for use at the extreme temperatures encountered in jet and rocket engines; specialised glasses and ceramics with high thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability, and a host of polymeric materials: some with unique functional characteristics and others which replace metal, glass, wood, and natural fibres in dozens of applications. Materials scientists and engineers are rising to the challenge of global energy scarcity by reducing the weight of automobiles and other transportation systems. They are also at the forefront of recycling technologies; searching for more energy-efficient ways of processing materials.