In line with its 25th anniversary celebration, CNN collaborated with the Lemelson-MIT Program to produce a one-hour TV special called "Top 25 Innovations" which highlights non-medical technological innovations that have become widely used since the 1980s. The Lemelson-MIT Program which was established 1994 is dedicated to honoring the acclaimed and unsung heroes who have helped improve people's lives through invention. Another goal of the program is to raise the stature of inventors and to inspire invention and innovation among young people.
Let me share with you what innovations made it to the top 25 list : 1. The Internet ; 2. Cell phone ; 3. Personal computers ; 4. Fiber optics ; 5. E-mail ; 6. Commercialized Global Positioning System (GPS) ; 7. Portable computers ; 8. Memory storage discs ; 9. Consumer level digital camera ; 10. Radio frequency ID tags ; 11. microelectromechanical system (MEMS) ; 12. DNA fingerprinting ; 13. Air bags ; 14. automated teller machine (ATM) ; 15. nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries (cellphone batteries) ; 16. Hybrid car ; 17. organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) ; 18. plasma screen TVs ; 19. high definition TV (HDTV) ; 20. Space shuttle ; 21. Nanotechnology ; 22. Flash memory ; 23. Voice mail ; 24. Modern hearing aids ; 25. Short Range, High Frequency Radio (WI-FI).
Some of you may or may not agree with the list, but we have to remember that the premise of the study is : the innovation should have had a direct and perceptible impact on everyday lives, and/or could dramatically affect our lives in the future. Perhaps if the list was extended to 50, then your choice(s) may be included after all. But for now, let's just examine the selections and here's a brief explanation :
The internet tops the list simply because it made information accessible to all. Cellphone for voice calls while on the go and SMS. PCs for automation. Fiber optics for linking the world. Email for easy correspondence. GPS for navigation. Notebooks for mobile computing. Memory storage discs for CDs and DVDs (music/movies/data). RFID for product tracking. MEMS and nanotechnology for its sensor. DNA for precise identification. Air bags for saving lives. ATM for unaided cash transactions. Hybrid cars for less pollution. OLEDs to improve camera displays. Display panels and HDTVs for clarity. Space shuttle for space exploration. Flash memory for storage. Voice mail for message personalization. WI-FI for wireless access.
One thing I noticed about the selection is the absence of computer applications. Aside from email, no other software or solutions was mentioned. Operating systems like Windows, Linux, MAC OS and Symbian (mobile) was not included. Database technology is also missing. Security solutions are nowhere to be found. Why? My guess is although they are essential technologies/solutions that helps the PC or the internet achieved its popularity and efficiency, most of the above mentioned were business driven plus the fact that most of them are not even close to perfection.
Softwares/solutions are supposed to streamline business operations, makes work easier and faster, eliminate redundancy and provide information to help decision makers. All of which are promises that are partially delivered till now. Most software/solutions are full of bugs, errors and security holes which in turn requires most I.T. administrators to be busy downloading patches and be worried about security than improving their company's I.T. infrastructure. Did you know that the most in demand position now in the I.T. world is to become a Chief Security Officer (CSO)?
Just last week, I attended Three (3) press conferences dealing with security solutions. All providers presented new ways in fighting intrusions, confidently saying that their new offerings can effectively protect corporate servers and personal desktops both from internal and external attacks. To further supplement their claims, charts were shown indicating that intrusion incidents are going up worldwide. How in the world did that happen? Advance security solutions are being offered, millions of dollars were spent for security research and yet intrusion incidents are rising? Let me guess, it's the fault of the user again. Security policies were not implemented correctly right? After investing millions in security solutions, users are still to be blamed. How convenient, the worst is yet to come - the mobile phone attacks.
If I will be allowed to add some more items on the list, I will definitely include printers, MPEG/MP3, animation, game consoles (xBox, PS2, GameCube), and text to speech/speech to text technology. Printers for allowing us computer users to print our electronic documents. MPEG/MP3 for revolutionizing our video and audio formats that allowed us to enjoy our favorite movies and music in smaller files without sacrificing quality. Animation for bringing us to a totally different world where our imagination is the only limitation. Game consoles for allowing us to enjoy a whole new gaming experience. Text to speech-Speech to text/voice recognition technology for allowing our brothers and sisters to join the computing world despite their disabilities.
More than honoring the creators of the technologies mentioned, I think one more important contribution this list provides is that it should serve as a reminder to all our next generation inventors/creators to put human interest first before personal gains. There is nothing wrong about making big bucks out of your inventions but make sure that your product/creations will benefit and be affordable to most if not all mankind. It should make people's lives more productive, help us become more efficient, and make our tasks easier rather than complicated. Always consider ease of use, affordability and functionality to your inventions and it will definitely be included in the next top innovations list.
My hats off to all our inventors and a Happy 25th anniversary to CNN.
Am logging off for now. God Bless us all!!!
