Reed's Ruminations: The Past, Present, and Future
Reflections on science, technology, and computing — leavened by personal experience
Category: Global Competitivensss
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Millions and Billions: Different Questions for Science Funding
All project cost estimates for an exascale initiative suggest it is well in excess of one billion dollars, placing it squarely in the realm of national priority debates. The science and engineering case, though absolutely necessary, is no longer sufficient by itself. One must also marshal arguments that address national, regional and global needs, and…
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Make No Little Plans: NITRD Plus Twenty
What national research strategy should the U.S. pursue in light of the coordination now present in other parts of the world? It is a question grounded in the ever-rising importance of information technology and innovation to global economic competitiveness.
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Predicting Our Technological Future
There are many reasons why initial success becomes the father of later failure. Sometimes designers cling too long to old technology, sometimes companies make ill-advised leaps to new and untried technology, and sometimes leaders cling to old business models when change is essential to survival.
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Planting Seeds in the Field of Knowledge
In these challenging economic times, U.S. universities are under great stress – economically, politically and socially. It is tempting for those of us in computing to ignore these issues. Like agriculture and engineering before us, I believe computing has a social responsibility to be an active and enthusiastic partner in helping chart the nature of…
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Digital Inclusion
An economic and cultural chasm, a digital divide, separates the digitally connected from those who lack the ways or the means to join the digital community. In a knowledge economy, the separated are cut off from a plethora of services, educational materials, and business prospects.
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Broadband: Oxygen for a Digital World
Broadband networks, wired and wireless, are the oxygen that lets the world of devices and services breathe. However, the air remains perilously thin. For many, digital inclusion remains a dream, rather than a reality.