RESUMEN
Despite widespread concern about lagging productivity growth rates and renewed interest in research, federal support for the review and packaging of hard-won new knowledge continues to languish. Yet accurate, accessible data are critical, not only in every R&D project but also in the most advanced manufacturing processes. Ensuring reliable, retrievable data is not a function that can be left to the professional societies, the publishing industry, or the private sector. In this article a six-point national science and technology data policy is proposed, and it is suggested that progress ultimately will depend on an overall science and technology policy, the first priority of which is to make available existing knowledge.
RESUMEN
Although long-term forecasting is best left to science fiction writers, scientists can illumine basic technological trends, as in the 100-year scenario presented here. Computers will continue the "small is beautiful" trend, but they are not likely to follow the semilog trail because extrapolation from the current base would lead to absurdities such as a computer cost of 3/100 of a cent. To achieve inexpensive high speed and Lilliputian size, new techniques are likely to replace silicon technology. The ultimate computer might be biological and patterned on DNA. Future computers will reacquire information when needed rather than store it, and we will see personalized products at mass production prices. Light wave communication will broaden communications exchange, but software that is more friendly to human users will be needed. By taking over knowledge distribution, electronic information systems will let universities concentrate on new knowledge. More importantly, they will expand everyone's right to information and free expression through the existing media system and to protection from misuse of information by others.