Charles Turner wrote:
Guys,



It was Sir Clive Sinclair who said something like "the World Economy needs
some new discoveries, all current manufacturing etc. is based on old
discoveries." He was referring to Automotive, Telephony, Television etc,
which are of course very old ideas, some 100+ years.


Not much so far, but then we are in an era where information can circle
the globe before you can even imagine it doing so. My theory is that in
ye olde times, people sat and thought for long hours, even days about
things, noted stuff down on bits of paper, maybe shared stuff with
local villages, but didnt become widespread until it worked, and for
that reason it seemed like a massive jump in technology. Now days,
thanks to the web, people spat little bits of ideas here there and
everywhere, and it is instantly assimilated. So it seems technology
these days is gradually built upon, continuously evolving in
infintessimal steps.



So, as far as electronics is concerned there has been no subsequent "Quantum
Leap Discovery" (I will, however, stand to be corrected and enlightened).

The big question:-

Are there any discoveries in any other disciplines that rival that of the
semiconductor and would anyone like to predict the next Quantum Leap.


One thing springs to mind:
Room temperature superconductors - these are just on the horizon as far
as some physicists are concerned and would certainly be a revolution in
computing, power transmission, magnetic shielding, and by some sources
even gravity manipulation!
If it was to come about tomorrow it would probably revolutionise our
world, but more than likely the technology will draw out slowly (if it
works) over the next 10-20 years, so we'll be looking back and just see
a gradual uptake of the technology, not so much of a "quantum leap"