Stone Age → Bronze Age → Iron Age... these divisions mark historical eras, each defined by the materials in use. New materials change with the times; by definition, they are the most advanced materials available in a given era. History shows that civilizations with superior materials flourished, while those lagging behind sometimes declined. Today's advanced materials are far too diverse and complex to be categorized as simply as stone, bronze, or iron.

Materials science and engineering is historically the oldest branch of engineering, yet stands at the forefront of modern advanced engineering. It studies the creation of the basic materials from which everything in our lives is made — from school desks and home televisions to smartphones and automobiles, each composed of materials such as wood, plastic, semiconductors, and steel suited to their purpose. All matter on Earth, including living organisms, is composed of atoms. By rearranging and modifying the composition and structure of those atoms, new materials are developed.

Materials are classified by their properties into metals, ceramics, and organic materials. The field characterizes the properties of everyday materials — from the atomic and molecular scale to macroscopic structure, size, and thickness — to understand their origins. It then considers how best to apply each material's properties, designing improvements that enhance strengths and compensate for weaknesses. Metals, for example, are strong and ductile with good thermal and electrical conductivity, making them ideal for structural steel and wiring. Ceramics, often hard and semiconducting, are used in porcelain, glass, abrasives, displays, and CPUs. Organic materials, which transmit light well and resist corrosion, are used in plastic bottles, nylon, solar panels, and biomedical applications. Materials science also combines these through alloying, deposition, and bonding, or by restructuring and rearranging atoms to create materials with enhanced or entirely novel properties.

Graphene (2010 Nobel Prize in Physics), LED (2014 Nobel Physics), quasicrystals (2011 Nobel Chemistry), and molecular machines (2016 Nobel Chemistry) are all celebrated next-generation materials. The recurrence of materials science as a Nobel Prize theme each year is testament to the age's hunger for new and advanced materials. The field can be said to be training the pioneers who will transform the era at the very cutting edge of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology.