Bill Gates this summer stated that we are, ‘… just now entering the golden era of computer science’.

Software is just now beginning to show use what nearly unlimited compute can do. The types of modelling that will be required in order to get a handle on global scale issues will require even more.

We are most nearly there now on the hardware side. Amdahl’s law is currently in action making the returns in hardware development less than the last advancements. The remarkable advances in software will continue.

 We need it to. Global scale issues are now on the agenda…and large scale, distributed cluster, parallel systems will be a primary tool in helping to solve these issues. Climate modeling, global disease transmission vectors, and stochastic simulations are in their entirety to vast for any other method of resolution.

The era of the pocket genius…or intelligent assistant made possible through the newest console whatever the form factor, smart-phone, tablet, and laptop, desktop, all connected and a now with proudly novel, continuous, interface is close at hand.

 Getting answers is just the beginning. Imagine a device that prompts you to ask the right questions. Or, that monitors your breathing and skin temps…and asks you when the last time you ate…or even, a carton of milk that ‘knows’ when it is nearly empty…and adds it to the weekly shopping list. All these and more will occur in the foreseeable future.

In the bigger picture, on the global scale technology can and will help benefit the lives billions of people.

Let’s start getting ready…the future is bright ahead.