Rapid communication is valuable, of course, but what is communicated must be authenticated and assessed. The Internet today suffers in that sense as does the explosion of traditional publishing or, for that matter, a phone conversation. Remember the economic analyses which have been performed over the years which indicate that much of what is lost due to corrosion each year could be saved if contemporary understanding were implemented. The Internet is fast becoming part of their culture, probably moreso than to that of older generations in our society. Let me turn now to my second point having to do with elements of the direction of corrosion research.
Engineering involves the management of risks.
Some are technical. Others are economic, political or social. A contemporary example of the above, which reflects my sense of an important element of the direction in which I see corrosion science and engineering heading, is that of engineering system life extension or residual life prediction. While such aircraft were designed to accommodate upgrading of engines and avionics during their service life, it was not envisioned that service life might extend to 50 years or more. The detection of corrosion, or better still its prevention, are crucial in extending the useful life of aging military and civilian airframes.