Previews of Modern Physics

The Reviews of Modern Physics (RMP) is certainly the most well-cited review journal in the world of physics. Its stellar reputation reflects the depth and detail of its reviews of fields that have reached sufficient maturity for a review to be warranted. In this talk, I will argue that there is another factor that has perhaps made an outsize contribution to its impact: some of the most influential articles have been reviews about fields that in some sense do not yet exist, or are still in their formative stages. I will focus on several examples drawn from the world of condensed matter and statistical physics, including: (1) Leo Kadanoff's RMP on critical phenomena (1967); (2) Ken Wilson's RMP on the Kondo problem (1975); (3) Jim Langer's RMP on the field of non-equilibrium pattern formation (1981); (4) Stephen Wolfram's RMP on cellular automata (1983); (5) Albert and Barabasi's RMP on the statistical mechanics of networks (2002). I would contend that these review articles owe their success not simply to the traditional metrics of comprehensiveness of scope, timeliness and quality of exposition, but to the fact that they catalyzed the evolution of their respective fields, by inspiring receptive scientists to see possibilities that would not otherwise have been so apparent. I will try to draw some recommendations that could guide future authors who wish to write a "preview" of an emerging field.