What happens when changing the microscopic structure of a material, even by a single atom, completely alters the way it behaves? From graphene to biomaterials, tiny variations in the arrangement of atoms can transform a material’s properties and functions. Function will no longer be separate from hardware: in the systems of the future, memory and response will be built into matter itself, and processors will take the form of neurons. A perspective that redefines the relationship between matter, technology and the people who use it.