The Institution of Mechanical Engineers celebrated its 150th anniversa
ry in a symposium on 7-8 July at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Cen
tre in London. Its theme was ''Visions of the Future-improving the qua
lity of life through technology'', and many senior speakers were invit
ed from industry and academia. Reviews in summary some of the presenta
tions of particular relevance to readers interested in technology.