Computer of tomorrow

COMPUTERS OF TOMORROW
Today's computers operate using transistors, wires and electricity. Future computers might use atoms, fibers and light. Personally, I don't give a byte what makes it tick, as long as it does the job. If I could accidentally spill my coffee and not have it cost $848 that would be a cool feature.
But let us assume that you are not still bitter from a recent laptop replacement. You might stop to consider what the world might be like, if computers the size of molecules become a reality. These are the types of computers that could be everywhere, but never seen. Nano sized bio-computers that could target specific areas inside your body. Giant networks of computers, in your clothing, your house, your car entrenched in almost every aspect of our lives and yet you may never give them a single thought.
Complete understanding of the theories behind these future computer technologies is not for the meek. For example, my research into quantum computers was made all the more difficult, after I learned that in light of her constant interference, it is theoretically possible my mother-in-law could be in two places at once.
A new NASA-developed computing device allows machines to work much like the brain. This technology may allow fast-thinking machines to make decisions based on what they see. A planetary rover might use this technology to avoid obstacles, select scientifically interesting spots to explore just by what it sees and navigate through terrain on its own without review from ground controllers. A spacecraft might use the technology to avoid hazards and identify a pre-selected landing site with very high precision.
This may well be recognized as a quantum leap in the pursuit of intelligent vision, allowing machines to be significantly more autonomous. The device works much like the brain, whose power comes from the complex networks of interconnections called “synapses” between brain cells. Networks of these brain cells, called neurons, allow humans to make instant decisions based on an observed image or scene. The new processor captures the same capability to process images in real time as a scene unfolds.
DNA COMPUTERS: DNA computers have the potential to take computing to new levels, picking up where Moore's Law leaves off. There are several advantages to using DNA instead of silicon:
• As long as there are cellular organisms, there will be a supply of DNA.
• The large supply of DNA makes it a cheap resource.
• Unlike traditional microprocessors, which are made using toxic materials, DNA biochips can be made cleanly.
• DNA computers are many times smaller than today's computers.
DNA's key advantage is that it will make computers smaller than any computer that has come before, while at the same time increasing storage capacity. One pound (0.45 kilogram) of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the electronic computers ever built. The computing power of a tear drop-sized DNA computer, using the DNA logic gates, will be more powerful than the world's most powerful supercomputer. More than 10 trillion DNA molecules can fit into an area no larger than 1 cubic centimeter (.06 cubic inch). With this small amount of DNA, a computer would be able to hold 10 terabytes (TB) of data and perform 10 trillion calculations at a time. By adding more DNA, more calculations could be performed.
Unlike conventional computers, DNA computers could perform calculations simultaneously. Conventional computers operate in linear fashion, taking on tasks one at a time. Parallel computing will allow DNA to solve complex mathematical problems in hours -- problems that might take electrical computers hundreds of years to complete. Today's computers work by manipulating bits that exist in one of two states: 0 or 1.
SILICON PROCESSORS: Silicon microprocessors have been the heart of the computing world for more than 40 years. In that time, microprocessor manufacturers have crammed more electronic devices onto microprocessors. In 1965, Intel founder Gordon Moore predicted that microprocessors would double in complexity every two years. Since then, the number of electronic devices put on a microprocessor has doubled every 18 months, and the prediction has come to be known as Moore's Law. Many have predicted that Moore's Law will soon reach its end because of the physical limitations of silicon microprocessors. T¬he current process used to pack more transistors onto a chip is called deep-ultraviolet lithography (DUVL), which is a photography-like technique that focuses light through lenses to carve circuit patterns on silicon wafers. While new manufacturing techniques have extended the useful lifespan of the DUVL process, before long chip manufacturers will have to use new techniques to keep up with Moore's Law. Many are already looking at extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) as a way to extend the life of silicon at least until the end of the decade. EUVL uses mirrors instead of lenses to focus the light, which allows light with shorter wavelengths to focus on the silicon wafer accurately.
QUANTUM COMPUTERS: Quantum computers are also likely to transform the computing experience, for both business and home users. These powerful machines are already on the drawing board, and they are likely to be introduced in the near future. The quantum computer is expected to be a giant leap forward in computing technology, with exciting implications for everything from scientific research to stock market predictions. Quantum computers aren't limited to two states; they encode information as quantum bits, or qubits. A qubit can be a 1 or a 0, or it can exist in a superposition that is simultaneously 1 and 0 or somewhere in between. Qubits represent atoms that are working together to serve as computer memory and a microprocessor. Because a quantum computer can contain these multiple states simultaneously, it has the potential to be millions of times more powerful than today's most powerful supercomputers.
A 30-qubit quantum computer would equal the processing power of a conventional computer capable of running at 10 teraops, or trillions of operations per second. To equal the top of the line in supercomputers you'd need more qubits. The Roadrunner supercomputer can run at a petaflop -- 1,000 trillian floating point operations per second.
THE FUTURE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY
Progress in computer technology over the last four decades has been spectacular, driven by Moore's law which, though initially an observation, has become a self-fulfilling prophecy and a boardroom planning tool. Although Gordon Moore expressed his vision of progress simply in terms of the number of transistors that could be manufactured economically on an integrated circuit, the means of achieving this progress was based principally on shrinking transistor dimensions, and with that came collateral gains in performance, power-efficiency and, last but not least, cost. The semiconductor industry appears to be confident in its ability to continue to shrink transistors, at least for another decade or so, but the game is already changing. We can no longer assume that smaller circuits will go faster, or be more power-efficient. As we approach atomic limits, device variability is beginning to hurt, and design costs are going through the roof. These are impacting the economics of design in ways that will affect the entire computing and communications industries. For example, on the desktop there is a trend away from high-speed uniprocessors towards multi-core processors, despite the fact that general-purpose parallel programming remains one of the greatest unsolved problems of computer science. If computers are to benefit from future advances in technology then there are major challenges ahead, involving understanding how to build reliable systems on increasingly unreliable technology and how to exploit parallelism increasingly effective, not only to improve performance, but also to mask the consequences of component failure.
And if history is to be any guide, some of the most powerful advances in the world of computers and computer technology are likely to be completely unforeseen. After all, some of the most powerful technologies of the past have taken us by surprise, so stay tuned for a truly fascinating future.