Microwaves--Present and Future

Many of us are so immersed in the ever-narrowing branches of electrical engineering that it is difficult to take stock of the accomplishments in the field as a whole or to visualize the possibilities and limitations of future developments. For those of us engaged in teaching and research, and who expect to remain in the field, such an assessment is necessary if we are to guide our students properly and anticipate the probable roles of our own specialties. I will review briefly present-day microwave applications indicating some of the spectacular developments during the past twenty years and try to make an appraisal of potential limitations in microwave research per se, and point to a possible profitable avenue of research for the future.