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Worst and Best Predictions on Technology

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the not-quite-how-we'd-planned-it dept.

prostoalex writes "Dow Jones News asked several mahor scientists and technologists about their worst and best predictions of the future. The story, republished at Yahoo! Finance Singapore quotes Lester Thurow, Professor of management and economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management; Nicholas Negroponte, Founder and director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab; Glover Ferguson, Chief scientist, Accenture; Alan Nugent, Chief technology officer, Novell; Peter Cochrane, Director, ConceptLabs; Michael Earl, Dean, Templeton College, University of Oxford. There seems to be a common agreement on having overrated the ability of machines to talk back to users and vice versa."

6 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Talkback by richie2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I predict we need more machines that talk back to authors when they find mahor spelling mistakes.

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    Money for nothing, pix for free
  2. When Anthony Michael Hall just won't do... by realgone · · Score: 4, Funny
    Today's favorite: Biotechnology advances will radically transform our world and our bodies.

    Mr. Thurow says higher IQs and more beautiful children will be among the benefits of biotech advances. "For the first time in history, people will be able to change themselves," he says.

    Will someone please make sure that Christopher Walken is in the balcony with a rifle at this guy's next public speech?
  3. Talking to computers by stewby18 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Worst prediction: People would be talking to computers.

    What's he talking about? I talk to computers all the time, especially Windows machines. "What the hell do you mean the zip drive can't be found?! It's right there!"

  4. My Fav by Gregg+M · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The internet will collapse in 1996." -Bob Metcalf, Ethernet inventor and 3Com founder.

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    Linux is only free if your time has no value. Windows is only free if you threaten to use Linux.
  5. Thomas Watson Senior, Chairman of IBM, 1943 by edgrale · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson Senior, Chairman of IBM, 1943

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  6. They missed everything ESR said by JohnTheFisherman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Like Microsoft collapsing in 6 months back in 2000, and more recently, Windows becoming obsolete with the advent of the new $299 Linux boxes from WalMart.

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    +5:offtopic,but anti-American