Creep phenomena have so far been investigated only in terms of old- style technology. For a number of decades, the usual way of tackling similar problems was to apply simple and exact tests (. tensile tests) to the very complex and impure materials used in industry and then to subject the results of these tests to a subtle mathematical analysis. As to the prospects of this way of proceeding, we need only to realize that a piece of iron is far more complicated a structure than, for example, a watch. Now imagine subjecting a watch, without opening it, to a compression test; further trying to draw mathematical conclusion from.
