NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently attended the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search Awards in Washington, DC. He listened to student presentations (including one which he freely admits was out of his scope) and talked with science teachers. He wrote:

In today’s wired world, the most important economic competition is no longer between countries or companies. The most important economic competition is actually between you and your own imagination. Because what your kids imagine, they can now act on farther, faster, cheaper than ever before—as individuals. Today, just about everything is becoming a commodity, except imagination, except the ability to spark new ideas.

Read the article online.