Mr Cerf looks back to the seventies when, with another computer scientist Bob Kahn, he was developing some of the key technologies that led to the birth of the Internet.

BBC: Do the patent wars threaten innovation?

Other countries will develop some of these technologies but the key capacity will be the ability to integrate a system of systems.

ECONOMIST: As China rises, must others bow? | The

While these technologies provide immense capabilities, they also suffer from some key challenges in the areas of reliability, scalability, and manageability.

FORBES: Big Data and NoSQL: Five Key Insights

In a more sophisticated analysis, Reller has included the effects of new technologies, and projects how many years we have left for some key metals.

FORBES: It's 2013: Let's Check Those New Scientist Claims About Running Out Of Terbium And Hafnium