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G. Pascal Zachary used some of the New York Times' ink (and bandwidth) this past weekend to toss together a whole bunch of ideas about enhancing human capacity for creativity. The piece is kind of all over the place, but he essentially sorts the many efforts into two general categories of assistance: computational and pharmaceutical. So far, the computer geeks have made the most explicit progress. They keep getting tripped up, though. Said one Intel researcher to Zachary, "We don't have a link structure for your personal stuff. We’re not getting at the content." Or to look at the challenge a bit differently, computer scientists don't have much experience hacking the human body (if only we came with an Ethernet jack and an API). But you know who does? That's right. Drug companies. Which prompts Zachary to ask, "Might we be heading, however fitfully, toward a new industrial age when Microsoft buys Merck to better compete with Google?"Just think for a moment about that potential family of brands. Introducing extended-release, extra-strength Creativity XP -- from the people who brought you Windows ME and Vioxx!
-Greg Dahlmann
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Ahem.
As I was saying, given how often Microsoft BSoD's, I'm not entirely sure anyone would ever be truly comfortable with the company having that much control over them - not to the point where the software could crash the wetware.
However, given how intellectual property law seems to be working, it wouldn't surprise me if, after a while, we found that the major computing companies did get involved in things like owning our DNA (or spleens, in John Moore's case), for application in...whatever.
- by Kelly on Mar 21, 2007 at 1:18 AM | link