How to sense and make sense of subtler factors that govern our behaviors, the choices we make as individuals and as part of groups. The point here is that there are some obvious physically measurable; things like body weight, miles driven, CO2 let out, around which we can develop diagnostics and policies. But these measurables are often the consequence of choices that are less tangible, like body image, the urge to stand out or blend in and so on.

I think we can sense these things as well by measuring brain activity or signs of mood changes in written communications. So as we get better at analyzing and archiving vast amounts of data we will find ourselves extending the frontiers of what we can gather. Many disciplines outside of the hard sciences will advance because of their ability to finally measure more things. So I would emphasize data analysis and also new ways of thinking of sensing.

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[Editor's note: We asked a group of Xconomists to answer the following question: "If you could patent one thing, what would it be?"]

Transgenic foods that are programmed and cultivated not so much to lower costs at the risk of ruining health and the environment, but the opposite—like a tomato that produces lots of Omega3 EFAs.

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One largely non-technical issue I feel strongly about is President-elect Obama’s misguided pronouncements on outsourcing.

I think America needs to create new high-quality jobs and not resort to public policy to cling to jobs that can and will get done elsewhere. Preserving “old fashioned” jobs sounds quaint and romantic but would trap people in jobs that are no longer viable and delays the creative rethinking and reinvention of businesses. As President, Obama must lead Americans down the path of innovation and teach them how to overcome the hurdles that come up.

On a more technical note, I am delighted that Obama has championed genomic personalized medicine. I hope he will enlarge support for new research initiatives and IT infrastructure investments so we can do a better job of anticipating diseases, lowering the cost of drug discovery and extending the productive lives of our citizens.

Genetic information could become the basis for new forms of discrimination and get in the way of personalized medicine. I was delighted to learn in this context that President-elect Obama supported the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. I hope he uses the power of the Presidency to advance our study and practice of personalized medicine and helps America become the world leader in this domain.

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…is coming soon.

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