The Materials Research Society fall meeting at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston has come and gone.
http://www.mrs.org/s_mrs/sec.a…
This materials convention features the most advanced research in the creation of tomorrows industrial materials. Seminars have titles such as”Atomic Layer Depsition-Fundamentals and Applications in Nanotechnology and 3D structures” or how about “Interfacing Quantum Dots, Metallic and Magnetic Nanoparticles with Biology” plus scientific equipment vendors show their wares. Our lab deals with industrial materials so at the suggestion of my boss several of us went. This particular society and convention was new to me even though in 20 years I have attended many other similar events.
This convention had all of the interests and benefits of any other large scientific show. For example, there was a diverse mix of trade show displays and talks with familiar salesmen, scoping out new capabilities and technology used in other industries. In general, it was a very good take.
But.
The most eery of all feeling hit me before we called it quits.
Where is everybody? This is a major big city, big time convention and attendance seemed to be off. As I thought back, recollecting recent years the nagging though intensified. Yes, attendance has been off for quite some time now.
It was an emotional break. Not so much escaping the lab for a day but escaping the anal retentive accountants and business policies they generate. These are the things that are increasingly taking the joy out of something pure, the science.