Tom McLeish FRS is Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of York. His research has contributed to the new fields of 'soft matter physics' and 'biological physics', working with chemists, engineers, and biologists to connect molecular structure with emergent properties. His research interests also include the framing of science, society, and science policy, and is the author of Faith and Wisdom in Science (OUP, 2014). He was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Durham University from 2008-2014, and is both the current chair of the Royal Society's Education Committee and a trustee of the John Templeton Foundation. He was the first winner of the Institute of Physics Edwards Prize (2017) for his work on soft matter.

What comes across is McLeish's passion for his topic, his wonder at how nature creates rhymes and variations in the poetry of the physical world, and his joy in the mysteries and delights to be found in the apparently mundane.

• 1: Introduction: the science of softness 2: Milkiness and inkiness: the crowding of the colloids 3: Sliminess and stickiness: the march of the macromolecules 4: Soapiness: the synchrony of self-assembly 5: Pearliness: the light-play of liquid crystals 6: Towards life: active soft matter Further reading Index

Tom McLeish FRS is Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of York. His research has contributed to the new fields of 'soft matter physics' and 'biological physics', working with chemists, engineers, and biologists to connect molecular structure with emergent properties. His research interests also include the framing of science, society, and science policy, and is the author of Faith and Wisdom in Science (OUP, 2014). He was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Durham University from 2008-2014, and is both the current chair of the Royal Society's Education Committee and a trustee of the John Templeton Foundation. He was the first winner of the Institute of Physics Edwards Prize (2017) for his work on soft matter.

What comes across is McLeish's passion for his topic, his wonder at how nature creates rhymes and variations in the poetry of the physical world, and his joy in the mysteries and delights to be found in the apparently mundane.

• 1: Introduction: the science of softness 2: Milkiness and inkiness: the crowding of the colloids 3: Sliminess and stickiness: the march of the macromolecules 4: Soapiness: the synchrony of self-assembly 5: Pearliness: the light-play of liquid crystals 6: Towards life: active soft matter Further reading Index

Tom McLeish FRS is Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of York. His research has contributed to the new fields of 'soft matter physics' and 'biological physics', working with chemists, engineers, and biologists to connect molecular structure with emergent properties. His research interests also include the framing of science, society, and science policy, and is the author of Faith and Wisdom in Science (OUP, 2014). He was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Durham University from 2008-2014, and is both the current chair of the Royal Society's Education Committee and a trustee of the John Templeton Foundation. He was the first winner of the Institute of Physics Edwards Prize (2017) for his work on soft matter.

What comes across is McLeish's passion for his topic, his wonder at how nature creates rhymes and variations in the poetry of the physical world, and his joy in the mysteries and delights to be found in the apparently mundane.

• 1: Introduction: the science of softness 2: Milkiness and inkiness: the crowding of the colloids 3: Sliminess and stickiness: the march of the macromolecules 4: Soapiness: the synchrony of self-assembly 5: Pearliness: the light-play of liquid crystals 6: Towards life: active soft matter Further reading Index