Human history is defined in terms of materials. Steel, glass, cement, gold, silicon - they have all designed our world. They have built our cities and skyscrapers. They have influenced the foods we consume. They have determined our means of transportation. They have even shaped the fashion trends of the past centuries. Materials scientists are driven by a desire to manipulate properties, in order to make things stronger, more efficient, and simply better. These scientists push the boundaries of the unknown to develop the impossible.

Sponsored by CSEM, The Material World: Modern Alchemy serves as an educational film, designed to expand the knowledge of the materials that have shaped history. Each segment of the film explores one of the many breakthroughs made possible through materials science.