October 2025 Newsletter

MATERIAL SCIENCE

None of us would be here today without the advances in materials that have enabled humanity to progress and thrive more efficiently.

The Iron Age began around 1200 BC. Smelters in what is now modern-day Syria are credited with discovering how to heat iron ore to produce iron. By the 3rd century BC, Indians were credited with developing steel.

The ancient Romans used a form of concrete, but Portland cement wasn’t developed until 1824, credited to Joseph Aspdin, a British bricklayer.

Plastics emerged in 1909, invented by Leo Baekeland. Nylon and Teflon followed later.

In 1947, Brattain and Shockley invented the transistor, and the rest is history.

Graphene, discovered nearly 20 years ago, is only now being used in significant quantities, primarily as an additive to enhance other materials.

AI AND MATERIAL SCIENCE

AI promises to usher material science into what is now called the 4th paradigm. Historically, material science progressed through experimentation, model-based approaches, and equation-based models. Now, AI offers the potential for faster, more efficient material discovery. However, the scientific community is still debating, proving, and disproving many AI-generated materials. For example, about 80% of a recent Meta AI attempt at material discovery were not viable candidates, tagged as “disorderly” because they couldn’t maintain a uniform structure. Many other materials were not new. Despite these challenges, AI’s role in material science should not be underestimated—it will only improve. Inventing a new material to advance humanity is incredibly difficult. AI tools will make this complex science faster and more efficient, though integrating new materials into widespread use can take years. Elon Musk has noted that while creating a great new product is challenging, scaling it to millions is nearly impossible. The 20-year journey of graphene serves as a clear example.

AI is also poised to make drug development faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Advanced drugs have arguably been the most critical inventions in our lifetime—many of us owe our lives to them. AI is currently aiding in developing drugs to improve lung function, combat superbugs, treat complex tumors, advance psychedelic mental health therapies, and more.

STOCKS

This is typically the most volatile time of year for stock prices. Yet, markets seem to shrug off political and international events, continuing their upward trend. The prospect of additional rate cuts and strong consumer spending are, in my view, key reasons for the market’s resilience. However, it’s worth remembering that the stock market can drop 20% based on sentiment alone. That’s why, to succeed, we must remain long-term investors.

Thanks, Andy McClung, CFP™

Sources: Nature.com Nature Conference; Nature.com Mark Peplow; Wikipedia; Google AI

2025 Market Results – 10/3/2025