How was it possible to think half a century ahead and feel that without all above inventions the technical progress in the XXI century would not be possible? I asked this question to many famous scientists, Nobel laureates, and no one has ever said to me: "You know, it is possible if one strains his mind and the solution would come up." Most recognize that inspiration comes from nowhere as if the ideas come from the Universal Mind.
I tend to think that this is possible. It is certain that the Most High or the Universal Mind or alien civilization indeed elect those through whom it is possible to send the next bit of knowledge to mankind.
Moreover, the information is not just broadcasted but given to those only who are able to understand it. How many times apples fell on the heads of the people but only Newton discovered the law of gravity. And Mendeleev could not have seen the periodic table of chemical elements in a dream if he had not pondered over the laws of linking completely different substances over many years.

There is probably one in a billion of such extraordinary men like Zhores Alferov, Vanga, Patriarch Alexy II, and John Paul II. People who are illuminated by the vision of the future and understanding the logic of the development of civilization and universe. Can we, mere mortals, rise to their level?
At the beginning of the last century, the great Russian scientist Vladimir Vernadsky put forward the doctrine of the noosphere - the information field surrounding the Earth, created by the collective mind of humanity. The fantasy of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges went further: he compared the universe to a huge library. Anyone can come and read any book he would like.
It seems to be good but here's the catch: what if the library has not only books containing pearls of revelation but the meaningless and sometimes quite harmful ones? And can you imagine what an uneducated person, who does not feel the logic of the universe, would be able to find here?
In the best case nothing, at the worst he would seize any rubbish. And what would get someone with not so good intentions? Consider this: the scientists who have studied the properties of the atom and nuclear reaction were dreaming about getting the cheap energy but the first result of their research was the creation of atomic bomb ...
Too often, the concentration of thought, insight into the information field in the Borges "universal library" does not lead to an improvement in people's lives, eliminating the diseases or achieve life longevity but to the discovery of more effective ways to destroy their own kind.
Therefore, it is important to have a person with high spirituality who intends to become a conductor of new ideas. You can use this knowledge to move humanity forward only.
Most of the enlightened people, I am proud to be familiar with, are highly spiritual persons. And this is not the matter of particular religion or education. This is the matter of having the common spiritual core typical to the chosen ones, no matter what race, nationality or religion they belong to.
I think there is a way to help anyone or almost everybody so develop your brain so that he can be opened to the information field of the universe. This is, of course, chess. It not only disciplines the mind, learn to focus on the problem, see the whole picture but also helps to raise the necessary spiritual qualities.
I always thought that the game of chess is akin to Buddhism that adopted meditation, the practice of working with the mind and our inner essence. Dalai Lama agreed with this opinion. When I visit his residence at Dharamsala I can see how the study of American Scientists, whom Dalai Lama allowed to do the research the state of the monks during meditation, goes on.
They found an amazing thing: it turned out that the brain of the monk being in a state of complete rest and detachment from the world is much more active than in its normal state! I think if you carry out the similar research among players during the game, the scientists would find these to be very similar.
However, there is still something that is no less important than inspiration. Once Zhores Ivanovich told me that he would not be able to repeat his achievement of half a century ago today. It was due to the fact, as he explained, that he had been supported by the state, colleagues and associates at that time. (3 million workers and engineers were engaged by the Ministry of Electronic Industry of the USSR and its associated companies. And I am proud that, working in Elista at the ‘Star’ plant, I was one of them).
Today, the Russian electronics industry is virtually destroyed. Through the efforts of the Western "partners" we wasted the quarter of a century and, if we consider the fact that that they were not idling; we have fell behind for 50 years now. Fortunately, the government is making efforts to restore the parity but time is inexorably running out.
By the way, this applies not only to technological development. It is hard to expect people to be engaged in the spiritual growth and intelligence when TV channels  continuously pour shoddy shows and soap operas on the watchers instead of such programmes as "Chess school”, "I want to know everything" and "Obvious - unbelievable".
However, even in this case, chess can help. Chess, oddly enough, is still a team game. In the overall standings a player cannot fail to understand that his right or wrong move would influence the general result of the team. He cannot help but feel responsible for the results of his individual chess party.
This is consistent with the Zhores Alferov principles, my own and by and large, the principles of any man who feels himself a statesman and patriot of his country ready to create, discover, invent and promote what society is able to give impetus to further development.