This open access book examines how the social sciences can be integrated into the praxis of engineering and science, presenting unique perspectives on the interplay between engineering and social science. Motivated by the report by the Commission on Humanities and Social Sciences of the American Association of Arts and Sciences, which emphasizes the importance of social sciences and Humanities in technical fields, the essays and papers collected in this book were presented at the NSF-funded workshop 'Engineering a Better Future: Interplay between Engineering, Social Sciences and Innovation', which brought together a singular collection of people, topics and disciplines. The book is split into three parts: A. Meeting at the Middle: Challenges to educating at the boundaries covers experiments in combining engineering education and the social sciences; B. Engineers Shaping Human Affairs: Investigating the interaction between social sciences and engineering, including the cult of innovation, politics of engineering, engineering design and future of societies; and C. Engineering the Engineers: Investigates thinking about design with papers on the art and science of science and engineering practice.

Research powers innovation and technoscientific advance, but it is due for a rethink, one consistent with its deeply holistic nature, requiring deeply human nurturing. Research is a deeply human endeavor that must be nurtured to achieve its full potential. As with tending a garden, care must be taken to organize, plant, feed, and weed-and the manner in which this nurturing is done must be consistent with the nature of what is being nurtured. In The Genesis of Technoscientific Revolutions, Venkatesh Narayanamurti and Jeffrey Tsao propose a new and holistic system, a rethinking of the nature and nurturing of research. They share lessons from their vast research experience in the physical sciences and engineering, as well as from perspectives drawn from the history and philosophy of science and technology, research policy and management, and the evolutionary biological, complexity, physical, and economic sciences. Narayanamurti and Tsao argue that research is a recursive, reciprocal process at many levels: between science and technology; between questions and answer finding; and between the consolidation and challenging of conventional wisdom. These fundamental aspects of the nature of research should be reflected in how it is nurtured. To that end, Narayanamurti and Tsao propose aligning organization, funding, and governance with research; embracing a culture of holistic technoscientific exploration; and instructing people with care and accountability.

The technology of crystal growth has advanced enormously during the past two decades. Among, these advances, the development and refinement of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been among the msot important. Crystals grown by MBE are more precisely controlled than those grown by any other method, and today they form the basis for the most advanced device structures in solid-state physics, electronics, and optoelectronics. As an example, Figure 0.1 shows a vertical-cavity surface emitting laser structure grown by MBE.
* Provides comprehensive treatment of the basic materials and surface science principles that apply to molecular beam epitaxy
* Thorough enough to benefit molecular beam epitaxy researchers
* Broad enough to benefit materials, surface, and device researchers
* Referenes articles at the forefront of modern research as well as those of historical interest

This book reviews the solid core of fundamental scientific knowledge on laser-stimulated surface chemistry that has accumulated over the past few years. It provides a useful overview for the student and interested non-expert as well as essential reference data (photodissociation cross sections, thermochemical constants, etc.) for the active researcher.