Polymers are large molecules made up of smaller molecules called monomers. Monomers are produced and grow together or are assembled to produce a single polymer. There are synthetic and natural polymers. Some examples of natural polymers would be wood, starches, nails and hair. Synthetic polymers are generally called plastics. Petroleum is the main monomer used to produce polymers. An English chemist named Alexander Parkes was the first scientist to produce the first synthetic polymer in 1862. John Wesley Hyatt, an American, was the first person to produce a usable polymer two years later. He named the product celluloid. The main virtue of polymers is a high strength-to-weight ratio. Industrial strength polymers outperform titanium in tensile strength. To add strength and improve flexibility, polymers are sometimes enriched with short fiber additives, primarily fiberglass. This is called a polymer composite. A particular polymer has three times the strength of hardened steel and is used in bulletproof vests. Another composite will be used to assemble the proposed sections of the space stations. Polymers have also been used in cars, including the Chevrolet Camaro and PontiacFiero. New polymers are created with greater strength and flexibility by combining two chemically different polymers and producing a block copolymer. Combinations of block copolymers and composites for use in booster rockets and materials for Earth-orbiting facilities. The most common polymers are generally solid, but a new class of polymers are being introduced in the form of liquid crystals. Although these polymers still have the physical characteristics of a liquid, they are structured more like solids. Many liquid crystals are transparent at one temperature and colored at another temperature. This makes them suitable for use in liquid crystal displays, such as digital watches, hand-held calculators and laptop computers. A new liquid polymer, made from a mixture of iron and nickel, is used to make metal bonds that can be used in paper, glass and on electronic circuit boards. Despite the development and widespread use of