The Cutting Edge includes 120 original entries that go far beyond basic technological information to include: the history of a technology, how it works, its present applications and the issues--ethical, legal, environmental, political, scientific--which surround it. It serves a wide audience, from high school students and their teachers in science and social studies courses to college undergraduates and general readers who want to know not only how a new technology works--but also understand its historical context and the potential impact on our lives.