How Google Works

by Eric Schmidt

Traffic jams are horrendous in megacities around the globe, wasting eons of time and tons of energy. Could we reduce them with smarter metering systems and better urban planning? Language barriers hamper trade, diplomacy, and commerce. Could we eliminate them with real-time, 99-percent accurate translation systems, the Star Trek universal translator two hundred years early? Lots of energy is wasted through inefficient power systems and a grid that can’t precisely match supply to demand. Could we save much of it through a smarter grid and systems that talk to each other? Hundreds of thousands of people die in car accidents every year. Could we reduce that tragic loss through cars that drive themselves and automatically communicate with each other? Doctors diagnose medical conditions every day. Could they get better and faster at it with the help of computer imaging systems and lots of data? Do you need a doctor to tell you that your child has an ear infection? Or could your smartphone do it?