Editorial

The XIX IUCr Congress in Geneva is the premier Crystallographic event of the triennium. No other meeting brings together leaders from all over the world working in all aspects of diffraction physics and its applications. The gathering will include innovators and experts, pioneers and novices. Because crystallography is vital to physics, mineralogy, chemistry, biology, and a plethora of cross disciplines, the meeting will cover the latest advances in all of these areas. An update on the Geneva program appears on page 10 and the program for an open commission meeting on the Future of Macromolecular Crystallography appears on page 11. This issue contains microsymposia reports from ECM 20, reports of BCA meetings in 2001, and Young Scientists’ comments on meetings in Australia and the USA (page 16).

There is a commonly expressed concern that the future of science depends upon our ability to explain to the general public what we do and why it is important. How have studies of materials translated into stronger, safer, more reliable every day products? How does detailed knowledge concerning the structures of drugs, hormones and proteins contribute to improved health?

Unfortunately, most of us are engaged in such specific applications of crystallography that our work is not only difficult for the public to understand, it is often difficult for us to explain to other crystallographers. My father said, “If you don’t toot your own horn, nobody is going to toot it for you”. In that spirit and in an effort to encourage crystallographers to find the right words to effectively explain the significance of their work, I invite all readers to toot their own horns. If you have recently published results that you would like to shout about, send a 200 word description, one illustration with a caption, and your photograph to the editor.

All submissions will be given careful consideration, but not all will be accepted for publication. Papers published in IUCr journals will receive preferential consideration. No more that one item per author will be published per triennium. The idea for such a feature arose from an unsolicited contribution from Artem Organov that appears on page 7. Items will be evaluated on the basis of scientific significance and its successful communication.