The Boston Section of the ISA once hosted an evening with the legendary Dick Morley. Dick Morley is the founder of R. Morley Inc., and is best known as the father of the programmable logic controller (PLC). He is also the leading visionary in the field of advanced technological development and an entrepreneur whose consistent successes in the founding of high technology companies has been demonstrated through more than three decades of revolutionary achievements.

Convergence conjures up the powerful meaning behind the dawning of a new era where IT, control, automation and communications come together as the silos break down. We now have the impetus to collaborate and new technologies will continue to emerge; however, do we have the culture of innovation to help our people succeed?

The physics of the black hole is a key to understanding our changing world, especially in the burgeoning international engineering environment. Black holes have information content related to the surface area, not the volume. The smaller the hole is, the better the information to volume relation. This surface-to-volume ratio is critical to nanotechnology and even chocolate. Energy storage, materials, coatings and self-assembly (possibly the ultimate in automation) are but a few of the direct applications of nanotechnology changing our world.

What can we learn from black holes, nanotechnology and chocolate? As new trends come into play with a greater awareness of green benefits, and we sharpen our senses to address stakeholder needs; how can we design value not cost into needed systems? What will be some of the ways of strengthening relationships in an environment that supports universal connectivity? The advance of the Internet will continue to add exponential capabilities, with art and science underlying the need to engage a process that captures the imagination and interest of others to achieve.