Virtual molten salt laboratory: Dream or reality?

The genesis of the Molten Salt Database, realized as early as 1967 with the publication of the Molten Salt Handbook by George Janz, is as relevant tod ay as it was over 30 years ago. Building a world-class, critically evaluate d database is a difficult and complex process involving considerable time a nd money. Ultimately, the success of the project depends on positive intera ctions between a diverse group of people - support staff to identify and co llect relevant literature, scientists to extract and evaluate the data, dat abase experts to design and build the necessary data architecture and inter faces, database reviewers to ensure that the database is of the highest qua lity, and marketing staff to ensure the widest dissemination of the databas e. The advent of the World Wide Web (WWW) has provided another exciting com ponent to this paradigm - a global database structure that enables direct d ata deposition and evaluation by the scientific community. Ongoing efforts in this respect will be described.