Coming from other parts of the country to Texas can be interesting. The state definitely takes pride in having its own unique culture and its own way of getting things done. However, relative to the rest of the country, is the technology in Texas forward or backward?The answer is unequivocally forward. Texas may be known for its wide open spaces, cattle, and country culture, but shift the lens and you will also find world renowned medical institutions, Internet and technology firms, and aeronautical engineering. Thus, it is important not to let old Wild West films help you form your only opinion of Texas!When it comes to healthcare, Houston’s Texas Medical Center has the greatest concentration of medical research facilities in the world. Galveston and San Antonio both have biosafety level 4 labs, and there are 13 medical schools across the state.On the Internet and technology side of things, Texas Instruments and Dell both have a major footprint in Texas. The state also serves as a high speed mobile wireless leader, with Clear WiMax Internet available in the major cities and along the major transportation arteries.As for aerospace and aeronautical engineering, the Lyndon B. Johnson NASA center in Houston serves as both a research and a launch site. Lockheed Martin has a base in Fort Worth building fighter jets, and the Bell Helicopter program is also based out of Texas.All in all, coming in from other parts of the country you may be quite surprised at the level of technological advancement you will find in Texas. The Lone Star State may be more famous in the popular press for its wide open spaces, but people living here know that the prairie isn’t the only frontier where Texas leads the pack.