This editorial was written after the ICOM meeting which was held in Venice in 1975. Outdoor stone conservation needs more research: In Venice there is a problem of dampness which introduces sodium chloride and industrial sulfates while dissolving the calcium carbonate. The yearly cycles of solution and crystallization cause mechanical damage, and the soluble crystals left in the stone increase the capillary action of the following year. A possible solution is gamma irradiation. This consolidates the stone after it has been treated with a monomer by causing it to polymerize thus strengthening the material and making it less porous. Two objections are that objects treated must be moved, and the process might not be reversible. Current conservation efforts in Venice are reviewed. -- AATA