The decade of the 1970s saw the emergence of several key technologies that have shaped the way we communicate and process information: the microprocessor, the foundations of the Internet, and the handheld mobile phone. On 16 August 2023, the Marconi Society brought together the technology luminaries behind these developments for an exciting discussion of the past, present and future of innovation. Federico Faggin, Marty Cooper, and Vint Cerf reflected on the surprises, challenges, and opportunities that have defined the past 50 years and will drive the next 50. Yasaman Ghasempour, 2020 Paul Baran Young Scholar and Assistant Professor at Princeton University, moderated our panel.
The Early Days
Federico opened the conversation by taking us back to the early days when groundbreaking inventions like the 4004 microprocessor he developed and Vint Cerf’s TCP/IP protocol were conceived. The rapid advancement of microprocessor technology impacts various applications, from calculators to control systems. The work to shrink transistors and double processing power over decades has led to the current era of trillion-transistor chips.
Vint recounted how the original purpose of creating a communication system for the Defense Department eventually evolved into a commercial and global phenomenon. He stated, “In 1983… there might have been 400 computers on the system. Today, there are billions of machines on the network…” The rapid proliferation of search engines and the monumental impact of smartphones has brought unprecedented levels of connectivity and access to the internet.
Marty took the conversation even further back to 130 years ago to describe the work of Heinrich Hertz, and how the early field of electromagnetism research led to his innovations. Technological progress drove people to want to be more connected. He shared, “My colleagues and I at Motorola could see that the world was ready for personal communications. People didn’t want to call a car. They didn’t want to call a house as they had been doing for 100 years. They wanted to call a person, and we created the very first personal portable telephone”.
Technology Meets Humanity
The Internet has democratized access to information. People now can access vast amounts of knowledge instantly, enabling self-directed education, research, and informed decision-making. This empowers individuals to become more knowledgeable and informed citizens.
The Internet of Things will improve the human experience by allowing us to be more productive. Artificial intelligence will analyze your behavior and find the right apps to make your life better. IoT can improve the efficiency of energy production and transmission and can help reduce emissions.
We’re truly on a precipice of exciting impacts of cellular technology beyond the ubiquity of the cell phone. This technology will improve the quality of life worldwide. For example, the sensors we use in phones can also measure a person’s pulse and blood pressure. We have the potential to sense a disease before it harms an individual with the goal of truly eradicating disease.
To tackle this complex issue, we need a multidisciplinary approach. It’s not just about the code or algorithms; it’s about understanding human behavior, societal norms, and the delicate balance between individual freedoms and collective responsibilities. Sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, and legal experts play a crucial role in this process. They help us explore how we accept certain behavioral norms in exchange for the benefits provided by our systems, essentially defining the modern social contract.
Challenges in Academia
Advancement in academia typically relies on metrics like the number of publications and citations, grants obtained, and teaching evaluations. While these metrics reward productivity and quality, they may not adequately recognize or reward true innovation, which might not manifest in immediate publications or measurable outcomes.
To foster innovation in academia, there is a growing recognition of the need to reform these incentive structures. Some initiatives include promoting open science, recognizing alternative forms of research impact, beyond publications and citations, providing dedicated support for interdisciplinary research, and encouraging collaboration with industry,
Vision for the Future
“There is no doubt in my mind that we could increase the capacity of the radio spectrum over the next 50 years by another million times. And that’s a good thing because we are thinking of new ways of using the collaboration of people to solve all of the big problems in the world.” – Marty Cooper
“We need to become smarter in the way we use technology. We need to be more creative. In the past, we had to brute force the entire system […] that strategy no longer works, so we have to become clever.” – Federico
“What we need as a society is to learn how to adapt to a more positive environment. Pay attention to our problems like global warming. Pay attention to smarter use of spectrum. […] You learn sharing when you’re in kindergarten. We should remember those lessons” – Vint Cerf
