Analysing soft matterA new volume on soft materials ranges broadly across systems and techniques, experiment, and theory.Despite a lack of coherence, there is much of interest, which conveys the energy within soft-matter science, says Tom McLeish.In science nothing stays the same.This is true not only at the level of discoveries, experiments, and theories, but also for the coherent structures and disciplines of the scientific community itself.A fascinating recent example has been the emergence of the field of 'soft matter' from a recognition that problems in polymer science, colloid science, liquid crystals, surfactant systems, foams, and even biological materials must draw on the same experimental and theoretical tools to make progress.Such coherence comes from important published work, conferences, and research networks, but also generates new work.Recent books and new journals serve as milestones on the path to constituting the discipline.For example, Ian W. Hamley's Introduction to Soft Matter (Wiley, 2000) and Richard A. L. Jones' Soft Condensed Matter (Oxford University Press, 2002) provide structured approaches for students from the standpoint of a chemist and a physicist, respectively.We have also seen the appearance of more advanced texts on computational, theoretical, and biological aspects, and at least two new journals.
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Bunsell et al. (2005) studied this question.