Tech Transformations ~ WSJ on the Coming Boom

Mark Mills and Julio Ottino write in the WSJ about The Coming Tech-led Boom ~ Three breakthroughs are poised to transform this century as much as telephony and electricity did the last...

"...three grand technological transformations with the potential to rival that of the past century. All find their epicenters in America: big data, smart manufacturing and the wireless revolution. [Big Data means...] From social media to medical revolutions anchored in metadata analyses, wherein astronomical feats of data crunching enable heretofore unimaginable services and businesses, we are on the cusp of unimaginable new markets. [Smart Manufacturing means...] we are just entering an era where the very fabrication of physical things is revolutionized by emerging materials science. [Wireless Revolution means...] most humans on the planet will be connected wirelessly. Never before have a billion people -- soon billions more -- been able to communicate, socialize and trade in real time. [How to boost odds this happens...] Liquid financial markets, sensible tax and immigration policy, and balanced regulations will allow the next boom to flourish. But the essential fuel is innovation."

All sounds obvious, but politicians and wingnuts of all persuasions do have a way of screwing things up for the rest of us. Nevertheless, I'm actually optimistic;-)