Some Noteworthy Trends: Blockchain - a very significant development and The End of Moor's Law: the next frontier

Blockchain

http://www.wired.com/2016/02/ibm-and-microsoft-will-let-you-roll-your-own-blockchain/?mbid=nl_21716

You will hear a lot more about blockchain.  You can Google "blockchain" to learn more.

It is possible to invest in this technology.
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/120315/5-ways-invest-blockchain-boom.asp

http://www.blockchaintechnologies.com/blockchain-investments

My search is just beginning ... a more detailed posting will be made in a few weeks or so.

The End of Moore's Law

An observation made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965. He noticed that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since their invention. Moore's law predicts that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mooreslaw.asp

However, it appears that the trend is slowing for two reasons.

Manufacturing costs have risen significantly (see next URL)

The beginning of the end started about a decade ago when the size of transistors – less than 90nm, or a hundredth of the width of a human hair – led to overheating. The problem was solved by limiting the speed of the processors, so they couldn’t generate too much heat. But the problems continued.

Transistors were set so close to each other that they were interfering with one another’s functions. They are now approaching a size so ridiculously small at 28nm or below, that they won’t follow the normal laws of physics such as gravity – they will soon be impacted by “quantum effects” which means their behaviour becomes unpredictable, and we can’t use them in nuclear power stations and rail networks.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/02/25/end-of-moores-law-whats-next-could-be-more-exciting/?WT.mc_id=e_DM91975&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Cit_New_Tue_9Sections&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Edi_Cit_New_Tue_9Sections_2016_02_26&utm_campaign=DM91975

The above-noted article notes:

What we now need from our devices is better battery power, energy efficiency, better connectivity and design.

The new ‘More than Moore’ road map will need to work backwards – what devices and applications do people want, and how can the chips we make support them efficiently?

The technical aspects of the issue are fascinating.  Given the intellectual and financial resources currently being allocated to these pursuits, it is inevitable that some breathtaking advances advances will be made in the near future.  The advent of more efficient and compact batteries, for example, will revolutionize the power distribution grid, especially in areas of the world which are "under-serviced".

However, I believe that the most significant advances will be made in the conduct of human activity: social and economic innovation enabled by technological advances has the potential to change radically, the way we communicate and do business.  Blockchain is only the start.