Continuous research is the key to problem solutions and also to new developments in winning minerals from any environment, be it the land, the air, or the sea. Strong research programs yield both present and future benefits and are part of any vigorous, dynamic development. In Alaska, new mineral deposits must be searched for; marginal and submarginal deposits must be reviewed in terms of sophisticated methods of mining, benefication and extraction; and greater utilization must be developed for Alaska's industrial minerals, fuels, and off-shore mineral deposits. Continuous research, directed toward solving problems of present mineral production and uses, yields a technology which will solve future problems, and is essential if a vigorous mineral industry is to continue to play its basic role in Alaska's growing economy. Since mineral resources are of limited value without human resources, the Mineral Industry Research Laboratory is also dedicated to the development of Alaska's young men and women for careers in the mineral industry. The Staff MIRL