- The practical uses of blockchain technology extends beyond cryptocurrencies
- Keith Bear and Michel Rauchs have investigated the potential in a report for Invesco
It is generally held that scientific progress can be measured in increments, rather than quantum leaps. But it might be more accurate to describe scientific progess as something that occurs “gradually, then suddenly”, to paraphrase Hemingway. There are innumerable examples to support this proposition; medical use of gene editing, or the recent spread of fibre-optic technology, for example.
Readers might even be well advised to take out a tandem subscription to a science journal such as Nature to keep abreast of which technologies are likely to move beyond the theoretical realm towards practical application. It is worth remembering that the modern field of artificial intelligence came into existence in 1956, but took decades of work to make significant progress towards practical application.