This is because the cause of a rare form of cancer often can be narrowed down to a single gene, providing a clear target, and because few other effective remedies exist, so that the promise of a new drug can be instantly visible.

FORBES: Mission Improbable

And even though steel and concrete are still the most cost-effective materials, new combinations of these substances provide greater strength and fire retardance, says W. Gene Corley, senior vice president at Construction Technology Laboratories in Skokie, Ill.

FORBES: They Will Rise Again