The X2 Project description (1):

Today, science is entering another period of accelerated change, thanks to the growth of the Internet and dawn of pervasive computing; the explosive growth of new sciences like genetic engineering, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and simulation; the rise of new scientific powers in the developing world, the revival of amateur scientists, and the growth of citizen science movements in the United States and Europe; the growth of new institutions supporting scientific research and innovation, and changes in the structure and funding of universities, government, and corporate R&D labs. Science in 2025 and 2050 is going to look very different than it does today.

To map and make sense of all these changes, the Institute for the Future (IFTF) launched the X2 Project in late 2007. The purpose of X2 is to identify future disruptions, opportunities, and competitive landscapes related to the content and dynamics of global science and technology innovation; to develop a new platform for understanding global innovation trends; and to present this information to policy- and decision-makers, as well as the general public, in a useful form. The project conducts its research online, through an innovative experiment in open forecasting; in workshops with young scientists and engineers around the world; and in online games.

In this period of accelerating change in science it is critical to find innovative ways to track progress. The fact that the Institute for the Future is committing significant resources to this end is a signal that people are paying attention to this phenomenon and will continue to do so in the future.

Going forward, I see that the crowdsourcing (3) of generating Signals of change and related Hypotheses will lead to not only a faster assessment of change but will also catalyze change by forging relationships and collaborations between contributors.