One thing that rings loud and clear as I talk with many of the community leaders regarding exascale is that everyone has an opinion. I write this not to present an opinion — but to raise a concern.

I recently tried to absorb at least some of the content in the recent report, “Designing a Digital Future: Federally Funded Research and Development in Networking and Information Technology,” prepared by The President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

First, if you have ever tried to work your way through one of these reports, then you know it’s quite a challenge. The nature of the language requires one to think about the purposeful use of certain words and terms. The conclusions from a tremendous amount of research are presented with what appears to be very careful posturing. But filtering through that, these recommendations, if acted upon, create a strong sense of where the nation needs to place our priorities within this scope of technology research.