The Arab world is poised to regain its high standing in science and boost its share of the global technology industry, worth almost US$5 trillion, says one of the world's leading physicists.
Michio Kaku,the author of Physics of the Future, says the Arab world remained "frozen" for 50 years - but has now awoken, in part because of the Arab Spring.
"There's a huge tradition of science and inquisition and asking questions here. And I think there's still a potential to regain that," said Mr Kaku.
"Algebra comes out of the Middle East, [as do] the [common] names of the stars.
"Physics was number one here in the Arab world, especially in the world of optics and astronomy. They have to reclaim the true legacy."
Recent innovations such as the internet, mobile phone and computer were created in the West. But Mr Kaku said the West did not always lead the world in science and technology.
"If you take a look at the last 1,000 years, you realise that the West was a net importer of technology. They had the Inquisition, persecution of scientists, persecution of Galileo. It was horrible," he said.
The global high-tech industry is now worth $4.8 trillion (Dh17.63tn) in annual revenue per year, according to the consultancy Alix Partners.
Mr Kaku predicts the cost of microchips will plummet, and will become incorporated into almost everything around us, from our reading glasses to wallpaper.
"In the future, we'll buy chips by the tonne. Chips will be everywhere, costing a penny … in your contact lens, inside your eyeglasses, inside your body, inside your clothes," Mr Kaku said.
The Arab world has the potential to "reclaim their own true heritage" and play a part in this high-tech future, said Mr Kaku.
"The Middle East in some sense was frozen in time for 50 years. Why? Because of the Cold War. Now Twitter comes in and in five months rocks the foundation of the Middle East.
"Twitter, in five months, did more than the Cold War in 50 years," he said.
"As Twitter and Facebook spread democracy throughout the world … People instead will concentrate on innovation, education, getting rich, raising children."
Mr Kaku was speaking at the Brainscape conference in Dubai, organised by the media agency PHD Worldwide, part of the Omnicom Media Group.
He is the professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, and a regular on TV shows broadcast by Discovery, BBC and the Science Channel.
Mr Kaku was taught at college by the late Edward Teller, known as the father of the hydrogen bomb, and claims to have refused to work on developing weapons when asked to do so by Teller.
"He made a big effort to get me to design hydrogen warheads as well. And I said no to him," said Mr Kaku.
"I wanted to work on an even bigger explosion than the hydrogen bomb. And that's the big bang: the creation of the universe itself."
