Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The Future of Computing

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the put-on-your-time-helmet dept.

webglee writes "What will the relationship between computing and science bring us over the next 15 years? That is the topic addressed by the web focus special of Nature magazine on the Future of Computing in Science. Amazingly, all the articles are free access, including a commentary by Vernor Vinge titled 2020 Computing: The creativity machine."

2 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. Trends by Red_Foreman · · Score: 5, Insightful
    There's two distinct movements, and in 2020 we could see one trend finally win out over the other, for better or for worse.

    One trend is the Open Source movement, the other is the closed source / DRM movement.

    The way I see it, one of two things could happen: Computing becomes nearly free, due to lower and lower hardware costs and free operating systems, with entertainment at our fingertips, or... an extreme DRM lockdown where only "trusted" devices may connect and Linux becomes contraband.

  2. Don't overestimate... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember how all the SciFi shows of the 60's thought that we'd be cruising the solar system (perhaps even the stars!) by the year 2000? The Jupiter II optimistically took off in 1999, and Star Trek contained several references to "Eugenics Wars" and "early space travellers" that were supposed to have happened by now.

    What do we actually have? The same space shuttle that's been flying since the late 70's, and updates to the same rockets that have existed throughout the history of the space program.

    Technology does progress at an exponential rate. The only problem is that the focus of technology moves. Computers have already gone through several booms of massive technology increase, and are now very stable creations. There's just as good of a chance that they'll continue to update in a more linear fashion (ala automobiles) as there is that they'll experience exponential increases in technological sophistication. I personally find it more likely that technology will begin to focus on improving other areas for the time being, and allow computers to remain stable for the time being.

    So be careful not to severely overestimate while you're attempting to avoid underestimation.

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade