Palmisano says IBM in some ways they have been doing the exact same things for a century: IBM has always moved to the future, he says.

FORBES: IBM's Palmisano: How You Get To Be A 100-Year Old Company

In particular, there is the ticklish issue of how much to disburse on preventing and treating now, and how much to reserve for research into better ways of doing things in the future.

ECONOMIST: The fight against disease: How to spend it | The

Now, it's clear that doing the same old things will not get the job done for our kids -- or for America, or for our future.

WHITEHOUSE: Race to the Top for Education Reform