The British aren't famous for creativity in the kitchen. But last September a London-based team of researchers struck a blow against this cultural clich. They didn't introduce a new cuisine, however; they came up with a new kind of cooker. Dubbed the "Microwave Bank" by its creators, the prototype looked much like a standard countertop microwave, with one big difference: a computer screen where the door window ought to be. Voice recognition software and touch-screen technology allowed users to send e-mail, pay bills, access their bank accounts or watch TV. A built-in barcode scanner automatically added items to an electronic grocery list. Resident intelligent agents kept track of a user's domestic habits and then suggested dishes or looked up recipes online. And it even cooked food.

The launch of the Microwave Bank drew an impressive amount of attention from the UK press, and marked the very public debut of the prototype's developer, the Knowledge Lab. Set up in September 1996 by the Financial Solutions Group of Dayton, Ohio-based NCR-the world's leading supplier of ATMs-the Knowledge Lab boasts an eclectic mix of twenty- and thirtysomething staffers. Computer scientist works alongside technical engineer, artist, jewelry designer, graphics/industrial designer, biophysicist, mathematician, economist, psychologist and philosopher. The 25-member team's mission is broad: focus on tomorrow's consumer. Or, as the Knowledge Lab's glossy launch brochure declared: "To create foresight-to get a grasp of the future before it happens. To start to lead the way in challenging established assumptions." Housed in a stylish open-plan studio space in central London, the lab is separated from Financial Solutions' reception by a wall of frosted glass, perforated with portholes to give visitors a glimpse of this future.