I was going through some of the recent articles we’ve posted and began to ponder what inventions have yet to come. To even try and fathom what my own children will be using in their every day lives in 20 years, is simply mind-boggling. After all, when I was a senior in high school and shopping for a computer for college, I never dreamed that within 25 years I’d be able to carry a computer around in my pocket!

Thinking back those 25 years ago, my father and I had to drive two states away to find any sort of significant selection of desk top computers, bulky CRT monitors and printers where the perforated paper had to be aligned just so. Even with the drive to a major city, the computer and associated peripherals were still a small fortune and we were exhausted and sweating after lugging everything back to the car.

When I got to college and began writing papers, most research was still done in the library with the help of the card catalogs, directing stressed-out students to various hard-bound periodicals and encyclopedias. The worldwide web was available, but only on certain school computers in very specific computer labs, and really only to access Nexus Lexus or similar scholarly scientific systems.

While I certainly never imagined I would be carrying around a computer in my pocket, I probably would have laughed if asked whether the worldwide web would be as ubiquitous as it is now. And I probably would have split my sides if I was told that I the aforementioned computer I am carrying around in my pocket would be able to access the Internet.

At this point, I can’t imagine not being able to access the Internet whenever I want, where ever I want. At home, I have Verizon FiOS which I love. I’ve used Verizon for Internet access for almost five years now, but only recently switched to FiOS when I came across a Verizon FiOS promo code. I can even use my cell phone (which is yes, on Verizon!) as a hot spot so that I can use my laptop any where.

The technological and scientific progress society has made over the last 100 to 150 years is staggering. It’s hard to imagine what future generations will come up with. But like the old adage goes, we don’t know what we don’t know…..