Hello,
        My name is Clay McGalla and I am a graduate student at California
Uiversity of PA. and as part of my Transportation class I am doing some
MEMS realted research.  Let me brifly explain.  I am working on a
Master's degree in Technology Education and am enrolled in a course that
is largley concerned with futuristic technologies.  The assignment was
to develop some type of activity that dealt with transportation and a
futureistic technology.  I want to develope a problen solving class or
activity that uses MEMS as the "problem," if you will.  I have found so
much information on the technical aspects of MEMS (which way beyond the
scope of my assignment) and not enough on a few other aspects.  I would
like to know what kind of competition is out there, is there a monopoly
on the market, is it even a market yet, what are the social
implications, what is the genesis of MEMS, how long have they been
around and also what is the technological forecast?  I still have mounds
of information to read, but those questions seem to be the hardest for
me to find the answers to.  I realize that my idea seems a little but
out of the ordinary, but I really believe that teacher's should help
facillitate problem solving skills.  Moreover, the more interested kids
get in "this" type of technology the better chances we as a society have
to enjoy it.  Any information that you feel would help in my research
would be great, if not I understand busy schedules.  Again, technical
information is abundent (although complex)but some of the more obscure
information is difficult to find.  Thank you very much for your time.
                                        Clay McGalla