Yale University researchers are working on an alternative method of producing computer chips - growing them in test tubes. The idea is to encourage organic molecules into organizing themselves into wires and transistors by zapping them with an electrical current. The result could be superchips with many billions of transistors. (Business Week Nov 1997)

Scientists in New Mexico have developed a prototype virtual reality system that creates a three-dimensional representation of a complex computer program, allowing scientists to visualize and manipulate the software. "It's like being inside a brain," says one of the researchers, who adds that the technology could be used for simulating industrial process control, visualizing enormous databases, recognizing patterns and improving engineering and software design. (Science News Oct 1997)