The futures of transformations and metamaterials

Those researchers who are part of the metamaterials community stand at a fork in the road - does the maturation of metamaterial fabrication lead to a focus on applications and technology, or does it suggest an opportunity to pursue more blue-sky scientific concepts? At Metamaterials 2013 in Bordeuax, one speaker focussed explicitly on the opportunities for applications and funding on the road leading to metamaterial technology. Here, in deliberate contrast, we look instead at the interesting opportunities in curiosity-led research based around the ideas of transformation and metamaterials. The genesis of this article was the Transforming Transformation Optics meeting held at Imperial College London in December 2013.