  Colloids are abundant in nature, science and technology, with examples
ranging from milk to quantum dots and the "colloidal atom" paradigm. Similarly,
liquid crystal ordering is important in contexts ranging from biological
membranes to laboratory models of cosmic strings and liquid crystal displays in
consumer devices. Some of the most exciting recent developments in both of
these soft matter fields emerge at their interface, in the fast-growing
research arena of liquid crystal colloids. Mesoscale self-assembly in such
systems may lead to artificial materials and structures with emergent physical
behavior arising from patterning of molecular order and nano- or
micro-particles into precisely controlled configurations. Liquid crystal
colloids show an exceptional promise of new discovery that may impinge on the
composite material fabrication, low-dimensional topology, photonics, and so on.
Starting from physical underpinnings, I review the state of art in this
fast-growing field, with a focus on its scientific and technological potential.
