Show Notes

In this electronic age the exponential growth of data is overwhelming. For organizations and individuals the flood of data that is accumulating shows no signs of slowing down…. (check out the show for more)


We would like to here your feed back. If you know of any exciting new technologies you would like to see featured on the show drop us a line at technologist[at]sdni.org


Let’s take a look at how we quantify data.

Megabyte- 1,024 kilobytes. The length of a short novel or the storage available on an average floppy disk.

Gigabyte- 1,024 megabytes. Roughly 100 minutes of CD-quality stereo sound.

Terabyte- 1,024 gigabytes. Half of the content in an academic research library.

Petabyte- 1,024 terabytes. Half of the content in all U.S. academic research libraries.

Exabyte- 1,024 petabytes. It is estimated that by the end of 1999, the sum of human knowledge (including audio, video and text) was 12 exabytes.

Zettabyte- 2 to the 70th power or it can be estimated as 10 21st power

Yottabyte - 2 to the 79th power or 10 to the 24th power. If one would commit a single byte of information to store the location of every atom contained in the body of a human, it would require about 5,900 yottabytes.


“Tom Hawk, general manager for enterprise storage at IBM, says that in the next three years, humanity will generate more data--from websites to digital photos and video--than it generated in the previous 1,000 years.” [1]

In 2002, it was estimated that people produced 5 exabytes (5 billion gigabytes) of data [2]

“Holograms can theoretically store equal to one bit per cubic block the size of the wavelength of light in writing. For example, light from a helium-neon laser is red, 632.8 nm wavelength light. Using light of this wavelength, one square inch of perfect holographic storage would be able to hold 1.61×1013 bits which is about 2,014 terabytes. One cubic inch of such storage would be able to hold 8,083,729,105 terabytes.” [3]

“By 2006 they will introduce both a recording and reading device and a holographic data-storage medium, based on polymers made by Bayer MaterialScience, with a capacity of 300 gigabytes.” [4]

“InPhase promises two gigabytes of data on a chip the size of a postage stamp, or 20 gigabytes on one the size of a credit card.” Longer term the amount of data the devices can handle jumps significantly “discs with a capacity of up to 1.6 terabytes- equivalent to the content of about four million books or about 1.6 million high-resolution photographs. Such discs could be available by 2009” [4]

“The researchers' ultimate goal is to pack 100 gigabits, or 100 billion bits, into one square centimeter of chip space using the molecular memory technology… at least 1,000 times more than is possible using standard semiconductor technology” [5]




[1] The Fading Memory of the State - David Talbot -Technology Review –July 2005

[2] Peter Lyman and Hal R. Varian, “how-much-info@sims.berkeley.edu”

[3]Wikipedia

[4] Funding of Innovative Startups - Andrew Madden – Technology Review- July 2005

[5] HP maps molecular memory -Eric Smalley - Technology Research News- July 2001


Music :

TechRockogy – KCentric -- http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=6bd50fb236799fc00d1733223110f378

Look Into The Future --MISS KRISTIN --http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=7b6612661bd1ac0b779d8f6e734a9b6b

DARPA and four-dimensional navigation

Two unmanned aircraft were able to make history this month when they
joined up in a preset formation using the same mission plan. Both aircraft maintained their position relative to a simulated third aircraft that was considered the “virtual lead.” This unprecedented demonstration was enabled by the X-45A’s four-dimensional navigation capability, the ability to position a vehicle at a particular location in space at a designated time. this demonstration creates a whole new spin on precision. The ability to so accurately define a flight plan with no pesky pilots in the way is dream of any General. No longer does the Pentagon have to worry about the social back lash from downed pilots in battle and can now preplan a surgical strike with the air crew safely seated at virtual controls miles away from the actual flight. Tom Cruise better play some more Xbox if he wants to remain Top Gun.

Take Flight in your new SKYCAR

To make personal air cars a reality it comes down to improving the air traffic control system. We need to implement a computerized system that sets aside air corridors for personal and commercial traffic. These sky highways are possible if we implement technologies like Voxel based HUD’s for Air traffic controllers. You can see a three dimensional image of an air craft. Anyone see a little movie called Star Wars… remember the holographic projection of the Death Star? They are testing a system that uses a laser and a spinning helix to land air craft down in San Diego so mix in a super computer or 12 and these holographic displays to give an x, y and z axis to crowded airways and mix in a really good air bag and you have yourself a super highway in the sky. Oh now you need a good skycar check out http://www.moller.com/.

Cyber People

What happens when we all record our existence 24 hours a day seven days a week? When privacy comes only in controlled environments and any public venue is an always on recorded experience. "I'm ready for my close up Mr. Deville." This radical change to society is little understood by the general populace and the reaction that seems to be the strongest is a pervasive fear of the loss of privacy. Unfortunately this like the whole genetics debate is like Pandora trying to close the lid after the problems has escaped, but just like in the myth we still have hope. The debate needs to move beyond the initial phase of how to stop the loss of privacy into the reality of how to regulate this new cyber society. It is no longer a question of if this will happen but how soon.We need to start a dialog on where to set the taboo bar. As an example it is a future date and Dr. Steve Mann's vision of putting a camera in a contact lens is a reality. We are now able to use a wireless feed from your contact to a wearable computer which records your daily life. This makes the obvious shoulder mounted video camera a thing of the past. At any time any place you could be recorded and you would never even realize it. Some taboo recording environments are easy to define, bathrooms, locker rooms others are not so easy to define. Defining these rules of recorded existence is what we should be debating and trying to define what is a realistic expectation of privacy. MORE.. sdni.org

Unified Technology Theory

With the vast ocean of technological innovation that pervades through out the corporate and university laboratories one of the most complex problems that face us is the integration and utilization of said advancements. The search for a unified technology theory is perhaps the most concise way to state this problem. How do we sift through this massive accumulation of discovery and theorem and pull together vastly diversified research into a collaborative solution. This gathering of dispersant information and people into a collective whole in and of its self disserves it own research, a big picture investigation if you will. Take for example the combining of holographic memory with wearable computers, 802 IEEE standards and augmented reality display to create a truly revolutionary way to access any data anywhere. To break down the previous example the holographic memory would allow for terabytes worth of data in a very small amount of space. Integrate that with a wearable computer that with Moore's law pushing the speed of processors through the roof and packing more power into smaller spaces puts a substantial computer system on our bodies. Incorporate the IEEE standards for high speed wireless access and top it off with light packets projecting an overlaid display directly on your retina and you have a new way of interacting with the world. This opens up a massive amounts of potential for how we interact with others and the environment around us. Consider the long term implications of this type of research. By focusing not on a specific technology or research topic this allows for an unbiased look at the grand scheme of things. Part futurist and part Vegas prognosticator this task is not an easy one. However the benefit of such an attempt may change the way the world works and plays. A key focus in assimilating the overall interconnection of these varying disciplines is being able to see the thread that binds. The ability to apply concepts to existing models of usage or the vision to create a new hypothesis out of combined research and theory is needed to achieve this end. It is like putting a puzzle together with out knowing the final picture. All there is to go on is the conjecture and theorem of what an integrated system may become. The inter relation of these dispersants systems may rely solely on a single key factor which may only be determined at a point when a cumulative system is designed.Acting in conjunction a group of researchers searching for a “unified technology theorem” may create a process or system that may far outstripped its individual parts. Thus with this concept in mind I did conceptualize the formulation of SDNI scientific discoveries and new ideas. SDNI seeks visionaries to extrapolate from the known collective of information and to meld together a cohesive mixture that has market potential. The Goal of this organization is to attempt such a lofty aspiration. We seek fellows of kindred spirit and understanding who want to reach for not just the stars but the cosmos itself.

JOHN ANTHONY HARTMAN--FOUNDER