Scan Monthly No. 033November 2005 |
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Signals of Change
The Art and Science of Light
SoC141
Developments in lighting technologies—particularly in the arena of light-emitting diodes or LEDs—are creating new applications for light at an amazing pace. For use from growing vegetables to enabling ubiquitous computing, lights are expanding their reach dramatically
Real Commerce in Virtual Worlds
SoC142
The growth of massively multiplayer online role-playing games is bringing about a blending of the virtual and physical worlds, with significant opportunities for players to make money. This growth and monetization of virtual worlds raises complex issues related to intellectual property, digital real estate, and the rights of people who build real businesses in virtual spaces.
Annoyance Avoidance
SoC143
Constantly increasing demands on consumers' time and attention are turning what used to be run-of-the- mill tasks into annoyances. Companies that help consumers eliminate such annoyances from their lives (sometimes even before consumers consider them annoyances) are expanding market share.
Progress in Autonomous Vehicles
SoC144
The results for the 2005 DARPA cross-country autonomous-vehicle challenge differed dramatically from those in 2004 (when no vehicle completed the course), but don't expect autonomous vehicles downtown anytime soon. Agricultural, industrial, and military applications are first on the agenda.
Sleep's Multifaceted Benefits
SoC145
Sleep remains a largely unexplored domain of human unconsciousness, but researchers are beginning to chip away at its mysteries. In the process, some experts are backing off of long-held positions.
Molecular Gastronomy, Hypercuisine, and Metabolomics
SoC146
Science and the culinary arts are in the process of developing better (healthier and tastier) ways of preparing food to replace (or augment) our current practices of boiling the exude out of it or burning it up on the grill.
Insights
| Distributed Infrastructure: New Ideas, Realities, and Consequences | View full summary |
| D05-2518 | Download this Insight |
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In the past several years SRI Consulting Business Intelligence's (SRIC-BI's) Scan™ program and Wireless Futures program have reported on technical and social developments that indicate that new types of distributed infrastructures are increasingly technically and economically feasible. Such systems have also become increasingly interesting and acceptable to the public, various organizations, and enterprises. This study highlights some advantages and consequences of distributed infrastructures and identifies a few companies and organizations that constitute the leading edge of this important new model for providing societies' basic needs. Author: Alex Ledin. 9 pages. |
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| Human Augmentation and Lifestyle Cults | View full summary |
| D05-2519 | Download this Insight |
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Lifestyle cults is a term that author Vernor Vinge uses to describe a social dynamic in which large groups of people—by taking advantage of networking, computing, and augmentation technologies—do things for others without really knowing much about who the others are or why they need the services. Vinge imagines swarms of analysts swooping in electronically on problems of the moment that have backers willing to finance a solution. This study, based on an interview with Vinge, examines some of the author's more interesting ideas about augmentation technologies and future lifestyles. Author: Brock Hinzmann. 6 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:
- 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
- 20 September 2006 at 9:00 am
- 18 October 2006 at 9:00 am.