While that approach affords breadth and variety, it does not always reflect the interconnectedness of research projects or the overarching themes that motivate apparently unrelated activities. In this issue, however, two major initiatives of great importance, not just to Research but to IBM as a whole, are represented by multiple stories. The first, network-centric computing, now underlies a substantial portion of the division's efforts. The second, parallel computing, is transforming many areas of science and technology, and promises to have a profound effect on commercial computing, as well. Among the emerging opportunities spurring interest in network-centric computing are electronic commerce and digital libraries.
Research has a long tradition of work in the area of digital libraries.
The ability to carry out massive calculations and simulations on powerful parallel computers is not only expanding the horizons of science, but is creating a new kind of science, supplementing traditional theoretical and experimental realms. The resulting calculations, however, provide new insights into the behavior of real materials under various conditions. The high-resolution displays under development could also project images onto a cinema screen or even directly onto one's retina. The list of stories planned for future issues is equally intriguing.