Another real, live materials scientist/engineer on this thread, cool.
Dang! you found me out. Yep, a materials engineer.
For me, metals date back to school as well, my work experience is all composites and polymer systems. Somethings you don't forget though. Metal fatigue and fracture mechanics was another significant result of the study of metalurgy. It's good to not have planes falling out of the sky like the DeHavilland Comet.
Now for all you guys riding around when it is 40 below;
1) How do you breathe, I have only experienced it once, but it was painful
2) What do you use for grease, most lubricants are useless at that temperature? I would expect it to be brutal on wheelbearings and bottom brackets.