It is hard to imagine the world before the Web. Initially invented at CERN to help particle physicists analyse the data from their experiments, the Web has become part of the fabric of both scientific and everyday life. But the Web was only the beginning, and researchers are now busy building its successor – the Grid. Whereas the Web allows users to share information and data, the Grid will enable a new type of science called e-Science by allowing them to also share processing power (p8). Physicists and astronomers are leading the way in the development of the Grid (p9), which is also opening up career opportunities for physics graduates in many different areas (p12). Much of this work is being done in collaboration with leading IT companies, and once Grid technology becomes established it should have applications in many areas of business and industry. Of course users will still need applications on their desktop, and elsewhere in this supplement we describe packages for data acquisition and analysis (p11), optical design (p5) and visualization (p15), and also the open-source software movement (p6).

Helping astronomers to see the light
Optical design software can greatly improve the performance of telescopes and other instruments. Gary L Peterson reports

Service promotes an open approach
Open-source software is often overlooked in IT strategies. Randy Metcalfe explains what it has to offer

Welcome to e-Science and the Grid
The large volumes of data being produced in scientific research mean that a new approach is needed, as Neil Geddes explains

The Grid in action
Scientists and engineers are setting up Grid projects to tackle challenges in many different areas. Judy Redfearn reports

Software simplifies surface analysis
Good software is needed to get the most out of experiments, as Andrew Jardine of The Mathworks explains

Grid boosts job opportunities for physicists in software development
The rise of e-Science and Grid computing offers new career possibilities for physics graduates, as Robert Mann describes

Toolkit aids visualization techniques
Visualization packages are getting ready for the Grid, as Jeremy Walton of NAG and colleagues outline