We call certain technologies “disruptive” for good reason: they can disrupt not only markets, but also people and societies. Most emerging technologies, however, also hold the promise of substantial social benefit.

We call certain technologies “disruptive” for good reason: they can disrupt not only markets, but also people and societies. Most emerging technologies, however, also hold the promise of substantial social benefit.

Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, represents a near-perfect marriage of technology, science, and capitalism. Butting right up against MIT and down the street from Harvard, the square boasts gleaming high-rises built by Pfizer, Biogen, and Akamai, offices with outposts for Google, Facebook, and Twitter, and thriving incubators and accelerators including Cogo Labs and MIT’s the Engine. In 2009, the Boston Consulting Group called it “the most innovative square mile on earth.”