"In their fascinating analysis of the recent history of informationtechnology, H. Peter Alesso and Craig F. Smith reveal the patternsin discovery and innovation that have brought us to the presenttipping point. . . .A generation from now, every individual will have personallytailored access to the whole of knowledge . . . the sooner we allbegin to think about how we got here, and where we're going, thebetter. This exciting book is an essentialfirst step."--From the Foreword by James BurkeMany people envision scientists as dispassionate characters whoslavishly repeat experiments until "eureka"--somethingunexpected happens. Actually, there is a great deal more to thestory of scientific discovery, but seeing "the big picture" is noteasy. Connections: Patterns of Discovery uses the primary tools offorecasting and three archetypal patterns ofdiscovery--Serendipity, Proof of Principle, and 1% Inspirationand 99% Perspiration--to discern relationships of pastdevelopments and synthesize a cohesive and compelling vision forthe future. It challenges readers to think of the consequences ofextrapolating trends, such as Moore's Law, to either reach realmachine intelligence or retrench in the face of physicallimitations. From this perspective,the book draws "the big picture"for the Information Revolution's innovations in chips, devices,software, and networks.With a Foreword by James Burke and bursting with fascinatingdetail throughout, Connections: Patterns of Discovery is amust-read for computer scientists, technologists, programmers,hardware and software developers, students, and anyone with aninterest in tech-savvy topics.