Interesting video. This makes me wonder what the next truly disruptive technology will be. First there was oil, then the semiconductor, then internet. As a mat

Interesting video. This makes me wonder what the next truly disruptive technology will be. First there was oil, then the semiconductor, then internet. As a materials scientist, I have to wonder whether the next disruptive force will come from something in the physical form or take a virtual form. Of course these things are impossible to predict, but its fascinating to look at how technology is innovating within my field. For example, one idea that I hear often is a shift from the printing paper industry (which I agree is a dead industry) to a printing electronics industry. There is no reason why this technology cannot be re-used to innovate another industry that is taking another form. There is huge potential in organic electronics and printable displays. Similarly, I believe optics are poised for an "it works" button, as Andreesen says. We've already seen the benefits of fiber optics as tremendously fast information travel, but we're ready to see optical computing and other advanced imaging techniques come into the mainstream. Lastly, we're going to see much more intelligent applications of past ideas. In the past, people would keep to their respective disciplines and innovate within them. Now, everyone is adopting multiple disciplines. We're seeing people who use quantum chemistry to make new materials, intelligent computing and statistics to organize information, and old materials techniques to revolutionize medicine. If you don't re-train in multiple fields, you will be left in the dust. This is how innovation will continue in the future.