THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY, CIVILIZATIONS have been built with the best materials available at the time. It started with a handful of natural substances - rocks, mud, wood, skins, and straw. Today, there is a vast range of materials available, from vulcanized rubber for our shoes to ceramic composites in military aircraft. Where do our modern materials come from? Some still come from the earth in the form of ores that are extracted, refined, and used to fabricate all kinds of products. The rest arise from the imagination of materials engineers. Materials engineers are on the cutting edge of technology in virtually every field. They develop materials with precise combinations of mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties that make other advances possible. Metals, plastics, ceramics, nanomaterials, and semi-conductors are just a few materials that these professionals continue to develop and enhance. Materials engineers are often the unsung heroes that make life better for countless millions of people. Here are some examples of what materials engineers have accomplished: Invented clothing that repels mosquitoes Created more flexible materials to enhance the maneuverability of skis and snowboards Developed nanosized polymers that help repair shattered bones Developed artificial skin grafts that help burn victims heal faster Created stretchable material for clothing that returns to its original shape In addition to developing new types of materials, materials engineers look for new ways to use existing materials. In the manufacturing environment, they are often tasked with selecting the most appropriate materials to produce particular items, whether that is computer chips or golf clubs. In the mining industry, they work on more efficient and eco-friendly ways of extracting minerals and processing them. Many materials engineers are also involved in research, studying the properties and structures of substances in order to create needed materials that do not yet exist, or to determine the cause of material failure. Materials engineers work in a variety of environments. Those focused on research and development work in university research laboratories or industry development labs. Those associated with manufacturing may work in factories or offices where they have access to advanced computers and design equipment. Some materials engineers spend much of their time out of doors at mining operations that may be quite remote. While the environment and hours that they work can vary substantially with their industry and job, most materials engineers work regular hours.