I nnovat ion, Science and Som et hing Else
I nnovat ion is a m odern concept associat ed t o t he m at erializat ion of new m at erials, product s and processes t hat incorporat e econom ic value and/ or social and environm ent al advant ages t o t he societ y. The t echnological innovat ion is based on t he know ledge accum ulat ed by t he im port ant st ep- by- st ep w it h which t he scient ific developm ent m akes increm ent al advances as t he years go by. The area of m at erials has been able t o clearly dem onst rat e t he role t hese advances play t o im pact our every- day life, bot h in t he professional and personal levels. The increasing speed wit h which new m at erials, processes and product s reach pract ical use has allowed advances on t he use of equipm ent s and has im proved t he healt h of t he hum an beam s. As exam ples, one m ay consider t he recording and inform at ion st orage equipm ent s t hat m ake use of m odern m et allic glasses and ot her m at erials, wit h except ional opt ical and elect rom agnet ic propert ies, leading t o a cont inuous m iniat urizat ion of devices, w it h overw helm ing qualit y. Also, m at erials for biom edical use m ay be considered, being ut ilized t o subst it ut e funct ions and part ies of t he hum an body, such as prost heses for kneecaps, art ificial m uscles and dent al im plant s.
The st rong scient ific basis necessary for t he adequat e proj ect , processing and finishing of t hese m at erials requires t heory and experim ent at ion, but also m uch creat ivit y. The lat t er is cert ainly exercised in every scient ific w ork, but is specially linked t o t he art ist ic w ork. This has driven t o t he com prehension t hat , in sever al cases, science and art are act ivit ies w it h im port ant converging at t it udes, procedures and concept ion. Wit h bigger or sm aller degree of int uit ion, wit h t heoret ical basis or expressing int erior v it al hum an senses, bot h creat e, develop and t end t o innovat e. The area of m at erials, in w hich on goes deep int o fundam ent al concept s and m ay be guided by experim ent al t rial and errors, is also t hat in which one int erpret s t he m icro and subst ruct ural m orphology, aest het ic and concept ual, t o creat e t echnology. The Journal Mat eria, by m eans of t he art icle t hat it publishes, t ravels w it hin t hese dim ensions of t heoret ical, experim ent al, of t he science and concept ual art , t o innovat e. And it count s on your part icipat ion t o be kept ahead of it s t im e, producing t oday what will be t ransform ed int o t he upcom ing innovat ion.
Rio de Janeiro, June, 2008
Cordially,
Paulo Em ílio Valadão de Miranda
