Institute For The Future

Library of Congress in a sugar cube: A scenario

This morning my new colleague David Pescovitz and I were IMing about nanotech, and somehow got onto the "Library of Congress in a sugar cube" meme. What evolved was a series of newspaper headlines detailing how the scenario evolves. Some are his, some are mine.*

 

The Clinton administration wants to nearly double spending for research on technology that potentially could store the contents of the Library of Congress in a device the size of a sugar cube and revolutionize medicine. (U.S. Government, January 21 2000)

Increased investments in nanotechnology could lead to breakthroughs such as molecular computers that can store the contents of the Library of Congress in a device the size of a sugar cube. (Foresight Institute)

Win the Library of Congress in a sugarcube! Free contest entry with every Soy Frappucino (Starbucks advertisement, July 14 2009)

"New Dark Ages Begin: Starbucks Patron Accidentally Drinks Library of Congress" (New York Times, front page, August 1 2009)

'"They should never have left it near the Splenda,' Says Culprit" (Los Angeles Times, B1, August 2 2009)

"Library of Congress Drinker Disappears: Rumors of Google Involvement" (New York Times, A6, August 19 2009)

"Microsoft Cafeteria Switches to NutraSweet" (Seattle Times, August 21 2009)

"Splenda Hires Saatchi/Saatchi to Develop New 'Brain Food' Advertising Campaign" (Ad Age, August 28 2009)

"Library of Congress Drinker Named 'Head of Special Projects' at Google" (San Jose Mercury News, August 30 2009)

"Family Research Council and NutraSweet Warn of Dangers of 'Socialist, Radical Feminist Literature' in Splenda" (Chicago Tribune, September 2 2009)

"Starbucks Cancels 'Find the Mona Lisa in a Blueberry Muffin!' Contest" (Marketing Today, September 6 2009)

"Chinese Government Censors to Monitor Sugar for Content 'Disruptive to Social Order'" (Singapore Straits Times, September 14 2009)

"Amnesty International Calls for Investigation into 'Special Projects' at Google" (San Jose Mercury News, September 19 2009)

 

Readers are invited to extend the story by adding more headlines as comments.

* Of course, this is not to speak ill of any of the companies mentioned, or to imply that the New York Times or Merc would ever write such clunky headlines. And the Institute loves Google, Microsoft, Splenda, NutraSweet, and Starbucks. And the Library of Congress.

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