<p>the promise of nanotechnology is very exciting. The combination of silicon based and carbon based (organic) technology is really something to look forward to.</p>
<p>That said, I think that we just mapped human dna speaks to the fact that we are just getting started in the biotech world.</p>
<p>IMHO, proteins are the future.</p>
<p>Quantum computing, energy and nanotechnology.</p>
<p>who wanna build quantum computer when their purpose is just to solve quantum calculation. The cost/benefit ratio doesn't support such investment IMO.</p>
<p>I am not sure if you know what you are saying.</p>
<p>pearlygate, it's the other way around.</p>
<p>As far as protein folding, the speed of hardware computing will revolutionize the software capabilities of computing, hence, scientists are better at mapping and observing these protein foldings on the computer. We'll see, the next decades in the future will be very mysterious and exciting. Hope it goes all well.</p>
<p>Well, that's what I heard from my prof who teaches quantum computing. He said the problem with quantum computing is every computation is assigned a probabiliy factor since quantum computation is not exact. As a result it limits the usefulness of quantum computing. </p>
<p>He also mentioned that quantum computing is only useful for solving quantum calculation. Normal day to day computation is not affected much by quantum computing. That's unless scientists "somehow" are able to implement the quantum computing for solving real world problems. </p>
<p>Given the limited usefulness and high investment to make quantum computing happen, I don't see why people would want to pursue quantum computing (unless of course just for the sake of knowledge and curiosity).</p>
<p>edwinksl if you know more about quantum computing please enligten me.</p>
<p>for those of you who are arguing towards biotech stuff, yes I agree that there will be A TON of breakthroughs. Nowadays it seems that the dream job for most people is to be a doctor, pharmacist, dentist, more biological stuff, while back when my parents were kids it was to work with computers (I heard them discuss this recently LOL). But anyways, I just would like to add that as others have alluded to, much of the breakthroughs in medicine require advances in technology (just ask radiologists :)), thus electrical engineering will be as huge, or at least very very close to the biological field in demand. And as people have said, much of the future will rely on automated this and that, and thus, we will have even more uses for technology. Yay lazy americans who need everything done for them ;)!!</p>
<p>hi,</p>
<p>i did my BS in math/mech eng (aero ) with a vague notion of something aerospace related. </p>
<p>i am now working in the defense industry for one of the "big 5" defense contractors (Northrup Grunman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, BAE Systems).</p>
<p>I am very comfortable with this career path; the technology is state of the art and it is a field where funding will always flow freely (no politician wants to be "weak on defense" so they throw a TON of money at defense contractors etc). In addition, the salaries and benefits are usually top of the line.</p>
<p>some technologies originating in defense: computers, radar, the internet.</p>
<p>Basically you have a chance to be at the cutting edge with opportunities for commercial spin-offs down the line.</p>
<p>the only problem is that (with high probability) you will be designing things that are meant to kill people. so there is an ethical question that you will need to answer for yourself.</p>