This topic emerged through a screening of emerging issues in science, technology and society in the context of the FET CSA OBSERVE.

http://www.horizon-observatory.eu/radar-en/index.php

The big picture

The screening revealed a diverse set of items related to the way we communicate:

Compressed conversations

Some researchers expect that digital communication will change the nature of our language so e.g. the use of irony and sarcasm is on the rise as people try to get across more meaning in less words (e.g. in twitter). Emojis are increasingly used in digital conversations. Source: Aggregation of several;

Terahertz communication enables a new range of wireless applications in the future

In May 2012, a team of researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology set a new record for wireless data transmission by using Terahertz-rays and proposed they be used as bandwidth for data transmission in the future. The new devices will use a so called resonant tunnelling diode (RTD) in which the voltage is decreased as the current increased, causing the diode produce waves in the terahertz band which enable data transfer rates of 3 Gigabits per second. The demonstration was twenty times faster than the current Wi-Fi standard. Research still has to be done, especially in the fields of adaptive antennas, frequency comb to unleash the potential of the invention. Source: FET Proposals;

Spectrum overcrowding

Several experts warn that our hunger for wireless data is threatening to crash our communication networks. Source: BBC Futures;

Active audiences

Through the rise of web2.0 the role of media audiences has been shifting from passive observers of distant events to active participants. In many areas “active audiences” are emerging and sometimes gaining substantial influence. Examples are the rise of vlog-gers, movie fanediting and personal live streaming. New apps like periscope where audiences become active influencers may transform the way we interact and relate to each other. Source: Aggregation of several;

Molecular communications

Use of molecules for communication has been successfully applied by scientists in a very basic setting. This could be useful for cases where electronic transmission fails (e.g. communication between robots in disaster recovery or in-body communication). Source: The Economist Technology Quarterly;