Special Edition — Tomorrow’s Technology: Silicon Valley and Beyond
Did you know when you open a birthday card that sings to you, you’re interacting with a tiny computer? Many of us will throw those away without a second thought. Computers are so pedestrian now that it’s hard to believe that the first programmable computer was invented less than a century ago. Our daily lives are submerged in an array of technologies that didn’t exist even a few decades ago. If we have progressed so profoundly in a mere hundred years, imagine how much we will accomplish in the next hundred.
This special edition is dedicated to exploring the technological possibilities that lay ahead by examining the prototypes that exist now, particularly those stemming from the hub of technological innovation in the US – Silicon Valley. These burgeoning technologies will likely have a profound impact on the future. New technology can facilitate drastic improvements in human health, as by fighting the spread of disease with gene drives, fast-tracking the development of therapeutic drugs with organs-on-chips, and reducing air pollution produced by coal power. Similarly, medically-focused data analysis and at-home genetic testing is expected to be invaluable for disease prevention and treatment. Some of these technologies, such as life-span extending strategies, may even allow you to live long enough to see how these advancements will transform our healthcare system.
Technological developments will do more than just improve healthcare. For instance, Mixed reality technology could seamlessly blend the real world with the digital one, while commercialized space exploration could expand our concept of what the “real” world means. Further, the development of Smart cities may revolutionize how our urban areas around the world operate. Many of the technologies in this Special Edition aspire to collect our personal data to work properly. This means data protection policy is a necessary component to accompany the technology we develop in Silicon Valley and beyond.
June 11, 2018
Happy reading,
Jordan, Kimberly, and the SITN Editorial Staff
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Garrett Dunlap |
Aparna Nathan |
Krissy Lyon |
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Patrick Griffin |
Cheng-Kuan Lin |
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Jessalyn Ubellacker |
Matthew Smith |
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Busola Olukoya |
Alyson Warr |
Kiran Wattamwar |
Special thanks to…
The editing team: Jordan Wilkerson, Kimberly Hagel, Kelsey Tyssowski, Chris Gerry, Rebecca Stern, Vivian Chou, Franklin Wolfe, Rockwell Anyoha, Peter Sherman, Emily Erickson, Susi Jakob, George Touloumes, Yutong Shan, Aditi Shukla, Patrick Griffin, Sean Kim, Olivia Foster, Jieun Choi, Chamith Fonseka, Keith Krenek, Jane Huang, and Katie Wu
The graphic editors: Rebecca Clements, Rebecca Senft, Abby Burrus, Aparna Nathan, Jovana Andrejevic, Bradley Wierbowski, Krissy Lyon, Olivia Foster, and Sean Wilson