Much research and development is a top-down process, beginning with questions like "how do you design an I-pod"? Our biggest challenge is figuring out how to obtain answers to the questions we don't even have the conceptual framework to ask yet.

A massive shift is taking place in the world economy. Following the advent of economies based on products, then services, we are now entering an era of the economy of knowledge.  Companies like Google are providing knowledge, and they're making a lot of money while they're at it.

Everything is available on the net, but availability isn't enough to create a more knowledgeable culture. To acquire knowledge, people must take steps to read, understand & process the information; then take all of this one step further.

How did Israel move from exporting oranges to exporting intellectual property in 40yrs? Can any country do this, or is it specific to Israel?

There is definitely a cultural element. Israel is almost lucky to have no natural resources because this "necessity" has driven innovation. We say often that human beings are our greatest natural resource.

As the president of The Weizmann Institute of Science, my job is to promote a culture of innovation. We believe that if we work to ensure the foundations of today's age of knowledge, then the age of innovation will soon follow.

I started studying physics in the 70's under a teacher who had studied in the 50's.  If she had held the attitude that she "knew" physics when she completed her degree, she would have only been able to teach me physics that was 20yrs old.  This would not have sparked my curiosity, and even now in 2008, I would only be able to do physics from 50yrs ago.  

But my teacher didn't do that.  Instead, she taught me to love physics, and this has shaped my life.

How do we create a future of innovation?

How do you take brilliant ideas and make them a reality? Realising science is exciting, not so much because of the potential of commercialisation, but, because it really can improve the world.