Entry Details

About the Entry

Category: 
All Content > Editor's Letter or Note > Northeast

Title of entry: 
IEEE Spectrum's Harry Goldstein's Insightful Commentary on Technology

Issue or Publication date:
April 26, 2024; June 01, 2024; October 01, 2024

Publication name: 
IEEE Spectrum

View Website home page:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/

Links to entry URLs

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Entry URL(s), if applicable:
Please enter a URL that will direct judges to the entry: 
https://spectrum.ieee.org/perplexity-ai-2667878262
Additional URLs, if needed:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/space-based-solar-power-2668422542
https://spectrum.ieee.org/taiwan-silicon-shield

Entry Essay: 
IEEE Spectrum is the flagship magazine and website of the IEEE, the world’s largest professional organization for engineers and technologists. Spectrum’s print edition is sent monthly to the IEEE’s 400,000 members. The website posts a daily mix of articles, blog posts, and multimedia, attracting about 1 million visitors a month. Our mission: to keep people informed about major developments in technology, engineering, and science. Our readers want complex concepts explained in plain, jargon-free language, with details they can’t get elsewhere. They count on Spectrum for thoughtful discussion of technology’s social impacts as well as expert analysis of trends and cutting-edge research.
This collection of Editor’s Note columns delves into the transformative potential of technology and its geopolitical implications, offering a blend of sharp commentary and expert analysis.
Starting with “Travels with Perplexity AI,” the column explores the promise of generative AI through a personal travel narrative. By highlighting Perplexity AI’s capabilities, it underscores the profound impact of Bob Kahn’s contributions to the Internet, which underpin modern AI technologies. This piece celebrates technological innovation and connects it to human experience.
The column “Space-based Solar Power: A Great Idea Whose Time May Never Come” critically examines the feasibility of harnessing solar power from space, juxtaposing visionary ideas with the harsh realities of engineering and economics. Cross cutting between Isaac Asimov’s fiction and current, actual projects, it provides a bracing perspective on the technology’s challenges.
Finally, “Defending Taiwan With Chips and Drones” addresses the geopolitical significance of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The piece describes the island’s Silicon Shield strategy and the role of advanced technology in national defense, emphasizing the strategic importance of TSMC and the potential military applications of drones. Drawing parallels with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, this column highlights a unique intersection of technology, politics, and security, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the stakes involved.