Stem cell research, cloning, DNA research, planetary exploration, new energy sources these are the headline-making projects that receive the greatest attention, turning some of the scientists into near celebrities. Yet, for every one glamorous research project, there are several others that are less high-profile and can be legitimately accused of being one long bore-fest. All scientists, however, aim to make an improvement to the world through their work. Watching grass grow, analyzing ditch water, measuring the growth of human fingernails, or indeed watching paint dry may not rank high in the glamour stakes. But there is a perverse fascination with such projects and their researchers, who are driven on by their desire to change the world. This book brings together fifty of what seem to be unglamorous scientific projects and ideas, tells the story of their origin, and the aims and hopes of the scientists involved.