Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Tomorrow's Devices




Intel has a project called Tomorrow's Project where their Chief Futurist Brian David Johnson recruits science fiction writers to produce "science fiction prototypes" such as future tech that help the engineering and product groups spark discussion.

They discuss their vision of the coming world and what they would like to build in a whole new way.

Users "don't care about the technology anymore," said Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist at researcher In-Stat. "They care about how they can use it. It's cultural change that needs to happen" at Intel, McGregor said.



The chipmaker is trying to speed along the change by reaching engineers in a language they understand: science fiction. Last year Intel hired four sci-fi writers to study the company's latest research projects and produce an anthology, "The Tomorrow Project," envisioning how cutting-edge processors might be used in the near future.

Once again, sci-fi writers are on the cutting edge of what the world could look like tomorrow. And business and technology are looking to them to help lead the way.

So take heart all you writers! You may be contributing far more to the advancement of civilization than you think.

Reference

14 comments:

  1. That's really cool! Didn't realize that. Lends new meaning to "If you can dream it, we can do it!"

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  2. That's really interesting! I have to admit, I'm one of those who just cares that it works.

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  3. This is really interesting, I had no idea. And I also just care that it works, I can't make heads or tails of what it does anyway. Will be interesting to see what we end up with in the future.

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  4. Hi Stephen .. like HG Wells .. his novels were futuristic weren't they ... ideas come from all over and things are always slotting into place somewhere along the puzzle of life .. so can quite believe you .. but like Alex - I'd like them to work, and to be useful!

    Cheers Hilary

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  5. Where would we be without Dick Tracy and his two-way wrist watch?

    What drives me nuts about new technology is having those learning curves, especially when all I want to do is finish a project.

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  6. I like the tying in of creative artistic minds with brilliant minds that can make their ideas into something real and workable. Hope my genetic engineering plots in my most recent novels are very far off.

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  7. Probably Gene Roddenberry's telecommunicator on Star Trek sparked someone's imagination. That's how it gets started. An idea and then a plan.
    Thx for hosting 2014 A to Z!!!
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  8. I have always believed sci fi writers write it and then scientists invent it. Isaac Asimov was another case in point, many of the ideas he had have since come into being.

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  9. Interesting topic Stephen and applause for Intel for having the courage to think outside the box. I am sure knowing Bradbury's creativity using 1950s technological knowledge was a good benchmark as to what is possible from the writing community.

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  10. That is very interesting and it does make a lot of sense.
    Writers really do change the world one word at a time.

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  11. You're right about SciFi writers often being a step ahead, because they use imagination to explore possible ramifications of new technologies. I remember the funny jolt I felt when the Internet became widely used in the mid-90s, realizing I'd first read about it in David Brin's EARTH in 1990.

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  12. Wow! Great post - I've just reposted to Facebook for all my sci-fi geek friends :)

    Fil at Fil's Place - Old Songs and Memories

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  13. pretty nice blog, following :)

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  14. I love companies who think outside the box, or should I say, atmosphere!

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