ABSTRACT
The human race is adept at fashioning its immediate environment to meet its needs. This may be seen in the way the built environment matches the use of materials to their properties. The strength, under compression, of concrete and the tensile strength of steel are harnessed to make tall buildings stable. The resilience and non-slip nature of solidified creosote makes roads safer. The safe handling of electrical equipment often depends on the insulating properties of plastics, and the transfer of electrical energy is made possible by the electrical conductivity of metals, particularly copper and silver. However, these materials, which are so common now, have not always been available.
