The Thai toddler cries and cries. Her father doesn’t speak any English, and the visiting American doctor barely knows a word of Thai. Still, the doctor asks, “What’s wrong?” A rugged laptop computer translates and speaks the Thai words. The girl’s father answers, “Her stomach hurts,” and the computer repeats it in English. In this way, the doctor is able to diagnose and treat the girl’s pain.

In a boardroom of a major company in Europe, four people enter. Each speaks a different language and they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to understand each other. Cameras on the wall recognize each person and track where they sit. Then, individualized audio translations of what others are saying are beamed to them without wires or headsets so that only they can hear.

In situations like these and many others, technology developed at the International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies is changing lives. More > (PDF p.

Cynthia Sherry is having dinner with seven gentlemen at a Dallas restaurant. All of them are radiologists, and Sherry is about to become the first female partner of the practice. During the meal, one partner says to her, “I’ll bet you’ve never been to dinner with seven men before.” If the radiologists think Sherry is uncomfortable with the numbers, they’re wrong. More >