Neutron scattering is capable of accessing a large range of length and energy scales which are ideally matched to contemporary problems in advanced materials, soft matter and the bio-sciences¹. The lengthscales accessible range from the inter-atomic, through atomic ordering up to the mesoscale. Of particular relevance to condensed matter research, neutrons provide both structural and magnetic quantitative information. Furthermore, the energy scales accessible match those of the intrinsic excitations in condensed matter and so neutron scattering provides a four dimensional understanding.

We shall introduce the neutron technique and develop its application to a range of problems in physics, chemistry, materials science and the life sciences. Many of these applications are characterised by complexity and a need to study small sample volumes in realistic environments. Increasingly, there is often a desire to study such behaviour in real time. We shall discuss recent developments at ISIS² that have provided a step change in our experimental capability, providing new insight and challenging theory.