I politely disagree. There are a couple of reasons that computers/software have been sources of rapid innovation. First of all, there's relatively little gove

I politely disagree. There are a couple of reasons that computers/software have been sources of rapid innovation. First of all, there's relatively little government disincentive to innovate, but there have been significant government incentives to innovative especially during the Cold War (e.g. ARAPnet, etc). Second, capital costs and the road to release are generally lower/shorter in software. I think the author makes a good point in mentioning an X prize type challenge - these prizes reduce capital costs slightly, but more importantly by generating publicity the prizes can reduce the road to market. However, these prizes themselves and even the author's article are an example of the power of the "sexy" social technologies. More people are gaining awareness of x prize type prizes in part because of buzz in online communities. I read this article because it was upvoted on HN. The very social technologies that many people complain are outshining innovation in other realms are creating a worldwide communication/social system that is just now beginning to become the foundation on which other innovations can take place. The most important pre-requisite to disruptive innovation in a variety of fields is the very innovation in communication that software makes possible. In short, changing our ways of collecting, organizing, and communicating information is the key to future radical innovations.