Feature Articles
June 14, 2011
This fine little study by Tim Gibson notes the different types of cloud computing – private, community, public, and hybrid. A survey of 79 computer users then shows that roughly 40% now use cloud, while another 20% are considering it. The survey also shows that people like the performance of cloud but are wary of its security and reliability.
May 30, 2011
TechCast is featured in the introduction and the forecasts on Space Tourism, Quantum Computing, and Cancer Cure
May 16, 2011
The Arab Spring is but the latest manifestation of the revolutionary power of Information Technology. Just like the fall of Communism, it reminds us that more transformative events are likely.
April 26, 2011
Michael Marien and Bill Halal collaborated on this definitive little study of the impending threats of climate change, globalization, energy, economic crises, political instability, nuclear strikes, and other forces driving a global transformation. While our surveys show that people are deeply pessimistic, the article uses our TechCast data to macro-forecast the way ahead.
John Sagi was one of our first authors with a fine article "Can Computers Think?" In this new article, he surveys the literature on consciousness to define this poorly understood topic that is now gaining such attention. A graphic illustrates the tentative structure of consciousness.
Knowledge on progressive business practices offers an incisive solution to the limitations of markets that caused the 2008 financial meltdown. Redefining corporations into "collaborative enterprises" like Whole Foods, Nucor, and Johnson & Johnson could convert this mess into a bold opportunity to unify left- and right-wing values, resolve today's moral crisis of capitalism, and jumpstart the economy.
Two GWU graduate students, Vivian Chu and Gayathri Rajendran, provide an incisive survey of who is using biometrics, for what purpose, and the pros and cons. With security needs rising, the field has a bright future.
This is a beautifully illustrated full-page article that appeared in the Washington Post. It summarizes the work of TechCast, focusing on forecasts in Space Tourism, Intelligent Cars, Telemedicine, Thought Power, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Robots, Alternative Energy, and Cancer Cure.
TechCast data show emerging technology frontiers are likely to lead the world out of global ecession. Green Business, Climate Control, Alternative Energy, E-Commerce, and other sectors are likely to start the next economic upcycle about 2015.
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Critical Issues
Technologies of Consciousness(ToC) is an exciting new field of study. Consciousness is poorly understood but of growing importance because it represents a great frontier beyond knowledge. This survey is a preliminary attempt to explore 6 ToCs we are thinking of adding to TechCast, plus 3 technologies we now cover.
The global megacrisis of climate change, peak oil & energy shortages, to the social order are analyzed from opposing viewpoints. Then we invite you to respond to a survey evaluating the likelihood of 4 scenarios running from most pessimistic to most optimistic. This is the biggest issue of our time, and we think you will find the results thought-provoking.
TechCast and Shaping Tomorrow joined forces to address the economic recession that began with the global stock market collapse of 2008. We invite subscribers and visitors from both sites to offer their thoughts on when the recession is likely to end and what structural changes are needed.
With computer power poised to match the brain by 2020, scientists think AI will soon replace human thought. But most people think there is something fundamentally superior about the human mind. Is computer intelligence capable of replacing human consciousness? Or does the mind inherently transcend information and knowledge?
Most scientists accept the threat of climate change, but some people argue this is simply a natural cycle that humans cannot control. To what extent is global warming just a blip in nature or caused by carbon fuels? What should be done to alleviate the threat?
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