As I See It: Punxsutawney Blue
By Victor Rozek
If you were the kind of kid who plotted the ignition point of ants frying under a magnifying glass, or dreamed of creating artificial intelligence because your family didn't understand you, then growing up to be an IBM researcher is not unlike winning the lottery. Eccentricity is not a barrier. If you're brilliant enough and have a compelling idea--even an idea that may not find practical application for decades--the vault will open, cash will come pouring out, and you can play with house money for years.
IBM invests billions in R&D, much of which remains closely guarded. But each year it treats us to a peek behind the curtain. From deep within the bowels of IBM's labs, white-coated, pale researchers emerge like Punxsutawney Phil to predict which way the technological winds will blow. But unlike Phil, who predicts no more than six weeks out, they look toward a distant horizon--five years out, to be exact--providing insight into how they are spending IBM's money and what gee-wiz innovations that money will buy.