In the beginning were the containment packages, and then came the natural barriers such as leaves and skins, followed by man-made synthetics such as pottery and glass, and manufactured cellulose derivatives such as paper and paperboard. All were essentially passive, that is, materials that kept out moisture, dust, dirt, and pesky creatures. As regular readers well know, the active versions that actually respond to internal or external environmental cues began some half-century ago. Simultaneousl…