Core Insights - The article discusses a viewpoint published in the journal "Nature Materials" by researchers from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on the challenges and strategies related to metal fatigue in extreme environments [1][2] - Metal fatigue is identified as a significant threat to the safety and reliability of critical sectors such as aerospace and energy equipment, despite nearly two centuries of research [1] Summary by Sections Research Background and Progress - The article systematically reviews the foundational research and advancements in the field of metal fatigue, emphasizing its status as a major challenge in materials science [1] - The unpredictable nature of fatigue behavior in metals under complex cyclic loads in extreme environments like deep space, deep sea, and nuclear energy is highlighted [1] Proposed Strategies - A dual-path strategy is proposed to overcome the bottlenecks in fatigue research: - Basic research should focus on exploring the fundamental fatigue characteristics of new materials and understanding their evolutionary laws and physical essence [2] - Engineering applications should concentrate on the fatigue damage behavior of traditional metals and related components in complex service environments, particularly under asymmetric or multi-axial complex fatigue loads and extreme conditions [2] Innovative Approaches - The integration of materials design, advanced manufacturing technologies, and artificial intelligence-assisted analysis is suggested to accelerate the development of high-performance anti-fatigue materials and promote paradigm shifts in extreme environment material design [2] - The research received funding from significant projects including the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences [2]