High-technology ceramics are characterized by the widespread use of synthetic raw materials, virtually unknown 40 or 50 years ago. This escape from the dependence on mineral raw materials has led to a wide range of new compositions, new processes, and new properties whose applications have been as components of devices in transportation, energy generation and control, manufacturing, medicine, electronics, computation, communication, and information processing that have revolutionized our material culture. Recent, prehistoric, and historic examples of contrived ceramics indicate that the main driving force for development has been user needs and that many major innovations have been made by users. Looking to the future, we can anticipate the development of new devices and new trends in our material culture that will require innovative, improved ceramics to be made in substantially larger numbers for even more diverse applications than are now being produced.