Scan Monthly No. 029July 2005 |
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Signals of Change
Some Assembly Required
SoC117
Interesting new proposals, tools, and techniques that signal potential alternatives to currently dominant mass-production business processes are cropping up in several industries—like small mammals underfoot, annoying the dinosaurs?
Biotech Ontologies and the Semantic Web
SoC118
Researchers, scientists, and product developers in the life-sciences arena are not going to be able to harness the tidal wave of data that the biotechnology and life-sciences industries are generating unless they can come up with appropriate data conventions and ontologies to share and leverage the data readily.
The Irrational Consumer
SoC119
Consumers aren't as rational as traditional economists have assumed them to be. Research in a variety of fields—from neuroscience to health care, from psychology to economics—continues to uncover the importance of emotions and psychology in consumers' often irrational decision-making processes.
Open Source as an Engine for Innovation
SoC120
The most significant role for open-source tools and techniques lies not in their potential for challenging Microsoft's dominance in the software industry but in their potential for enabling and accelerating innovation. By disseminating and distributing—rather than hoarding—talent, expertise, and intelligence, open-source practices will serve as a dramatic engine driving innovation in business, government, and communities.
Technology and Anthropology
SoC121
Anthropologists are having a field day researching and speculating about the effects of technology on society, human relationships, and human behavior. The results are mixed but sure to lead to a new discipline that examines technology's role in anthropology. We can call it techropology.
Innovation Overload
SoC122
The increasingly urgent and competitive search for innovation is taking companies outside the confines of the corporation and into the wilds of the online world.
Insights
| Progress in Transitioning to a Hydrogen Economy | View full summary |
| D05-2510 | Download this Insight |
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Many world leaders have mentioned hydrogen and fuel cells as key pieces in a transition to a future in which all nations can achieve energy independence and reduce pollution while maintaining economic growth and fostering a variety of technical advances. Questions about basic issues—such as what "a hydrogen economy" means, whether a hydrogen economy is practical, and what steps are actually supporting a transition to a hydrogen economy—linger amid the hype that has surrounded recent technology advances in fuel cells. This study discusses what the term hydrogen economy means and how hydrogen and fuel cells may fit into a hydrogen economy. In addition, the study summarizes some of the larger research efforts that are under way in Western Europe, North America, and Japan to develop fuel cells and hydrogen for energy applications, with an emphasis on transportation applications. Countries in many other regions—including Australia, Brazil, China, India, the Republic of Korea, and Russia—have also initiated roadmaps and programs in hydrogen and fuel cells. Author: Barbara Heydorn. 15 pages. |
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| The Quest for Inexpensive Electronics | View full summary |
| D05-2511 | Download this Insight |
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Cost reduction of electronic parts can open many new avenues for use of information technology, and radio-frequency–identification (RFID) technology illustrates the potential of low-cost electronics. Once components for RFID tags—including antennas, microprocessors, and batteries—become sufficiently cheap, manufacturers will be able to deploy them widely, not only on products but on individual-item product packaging as well. This study examines progress in developing printable and inexpensive electronic components, including non-silicon based tags, printed antennas, computer memory, and batteries. Authors: Martin Schwirn, Marifaith Hackett. 10 pages. |
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Calendar
Scan™ Abstract Meetings
Scan abstract meetings (in which SRIC-BI [now SBI] staff participate in a free-form discussion of current Scan abstracts) are open for client observation/participation on:
- 21 September 2005 at 9:00 am
- 19 October 2005 at 9:00 am
- 25 January 2006 at 9:00 am
- 22 March 2006 at 9:00 am
- 17 May 2006 at 9:00 am
- 19 July 2006 at 9:00 am.