The careers of many physicists, particularly those engaged in applied or industrial research, depend on the cerns grow, they are increasingly being asked to help expand their employers' sources of income. In many cases, the most direct link between an organization's scientific research, development and application efforts and its financial objectives is its portfolio of patents. And so it would not be unreasonable to say that the professional success of many physicists is greatly affected by the number and quality of the patents resulting from their efforts.