In fact, our senior class was slated to visit, briefly, that destination underdog during our graduation trip to the East Coast. Life intervened, I missed the trip and I have wondered ever since what secrets the future held that I may have missed.
But as conservative commentator George Will observed, the future has a way of arriving unannounced and during a recent visit to Rice University, I was finally given a chance to experience the awe of discovery held captive by my imagination these many years.
I can attest, the future is here, but it’s not locked away in a silver ball in the middle of Florida. Sorry, Orlando.
The purpose of my visit to the University was to attend the 8th annual Nanotechnology and Sustainability Forum hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. While there, I was fascinated to learn how scientists across the world are developing new technologies that are or will soon impact our lives in ways that even Walt Disney could never have imagined.
Mid-century activist Simone Weil got it mostly right when she said that the future is made of the same stuff as the present… Yes, the same stuff, but smaller, much smaller...and that makes all the difference.
We hear about it all of the time… computers programs that once took up an entire floor of an office building are now discretely tucked away in a desktop PC. Phones are no longer phones… they are miniature entertainment consoles, emergency response systems and portable production studios.
Technology is indeed getting smaller, more portable and more efficient, but nanotechnology is redefining small and taking it to a whole new level.
Specialists in the fields of nanotechnology, information technology and biotechnology are working in concert to create the perfect storm of innovation.
By manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale, scientists are using nanotechnology to create anti-collision automobile sensors; nanocarbon fibers are being woven into reinforced body armor; and nanoparticles are being studied to see how they can absorb solar energy, purify water, and even create mildew resistant tile.
Concurrently, computer scientists and information technologists are serving as major players in the field by designing programs to help with the collection and analysis of key data leading to these phenomenal breakthroughs.
It's a Revolution
A broad, multidisciplinary technology revolution is far outpacing the agricultural and industrial revolutions of years past. Nanotechnology is at the forefront and it is bringing with it a host of career opportunities for students wishing to enter the fields of medicine, electronics and energy, all industries that are particularly strong within our region.
That’s very good news for Texans and it ensures that the future, just as I always imagined, is a most exciting place to be!
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For information about Computer/ Information Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:
Field of Computer Science
Information Technology
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For information about the Governor's Office of Economic Development:
Nanotechnology Report 2008
Nanotechnology Companies in Texas 2008
Biotechnology Report 2008
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For information about the Disney College Internship Program
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