Molecular computing

[mindlight]

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/400728/molecular-computing/


The technology appears to offer the possibility of information storage densities far in excess of silicon based chips. This link from MIT appears to indicate that an interface with this information is also possible and that certain kinds of molecules can be turned on and off with electrical current. Combining this new technology with silicon transitiors also could mean hybrids are possible in about 10 years time and thus ways of utilising the advantages of both technologies in a single computer.

So silicon will probably remain better for complex computational tasks but moelcules may have a better memory and of course offer the possibility of sensors and actuators that can respond to chemical or biological clues.

There are apparently other advantages such as a the retention of non volatile memory for instance. But a new kind of architecture would also probably be required and ways of routing around imperfections or the random fluctuations associated with chemicals. It would be no good having an architecture that only worked when it wanted to.

What do people here think about this technology and the opportunities it offers

Are biochips possible using this kind of interface to allow the unique signature of our biology to be associated with credit payments, interfaces with the internet, thought control devices, massive enhancements in computational power and the possibilities of mobile computing.

Could you control human beings with this interface by stimulating pain or pleasure depending on choices made

Could you ultimately read peoples minds and extract their personalities onto disk?

Or are these fears really born of an ontological reductionism that just takes materialistic science too seriously and overestimates what scientists are actually able to do?

 

[mindlight]

BBC News - One rat brain 'talks' to another using electronic link

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/s...-map-of-human-brain.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

 

[Joshua0]

The technology appears to offer the possibility of information storage densities far in excess of silicon based chips.

The chips in the future will be made out of diamonds. Mostly because they handle heat a lot better then silicon, so you do not have to worry about them failing. According to Moore law the development cost continues to go up but the production cost continues to go down. When they mass produce these chips everyone can afford them. Only right now the cost to develop them is so high and they do not seem to have any investors.

 

[mindlight]

The chips in the future will be made out of diamonds. Mostly because they handle heat a lot better then silicon, so you do not have to worry about them failing. According to Moore law the development cost continues to go up but the production cost continues to go down. When they mass produce these chips everyone can afford them. Only right now the cost to develop them is so high and they do not seem to have any investors.

Think you mean graphene and thats more the processing CPUs . Memory could be considered in molecular terms and processing power in terms of carbon nanotubes and graphene for instance

http://mashable.com/2011/12/05/ibm-intel-chip-future/

But so also Niobium Dioxide (NbO2) has been postulated for neuristors:

Neuristors: The future of brain-like computer chips | ExtremeTech

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

The chips in the future will be made out of diamonds. Mostly because they handle heat a lot better then silicon, so you do not have to worry about them failing. According to Moore law the development cost continues to go up but the production cost continues to go down. When they mass produce these chips everyone can afford them. Only right now the cost to develop them is so high and they do not seem to have any investors.

Also because diamonds don't conduct electricity at all?

Also, you're wrong about Moore's Law, which predicts that transistor density doubles every 18-24 months. It says nothing about the economic feasibility of these transistors.

 

[Joshua0]

Also because diamonds don't conduct electricity at all?

Adding atoms of boron or nitrogen enables a diamond film to conduct electricity. Manufacturers plan to build a diamond chip that can withstand temperatures of 500 C, compared to only about 150 C for silicon chips. The chips would be most useful in devices located near hot-burning engines, such as those used in automobiles or airplanes.

Perhaps you would be more happy if we called them carbon chips, but clearly diamond chips sounds a lot better. If they offered you a telephone with carbon chips or a telephone with diamond chips, which one would you buy?

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Adding atoms of boron or nitrogen enables a diamond film to conduct electricity. Manufacturers plan to build a diamond chip that can withstand temperatures of 500 C, compared to only about 150 C for silicon chips. The chips would be most useful in devices located near hot-burning engines, such as those used in automobiles or airplanes.

If it works at 500C it will still need to dissipate heat. The only difference is that heat dissipation will be more efficient at 500C than at 90C. It gives slightly more leeway with things like Turbo Boost, but the inherent problem has still not gone away.

Perhaps you would be more happy if we called them carbon chips, but clearly diamond chips sounds a lot better. If they offered you a telephone with carbon chips or a telephone with diamond chips, which one would you buy?

I do this currently; I buy the one that suits my usage scenario better.

 

[mindlight]

Adding atoms of boron or nitrogen enables a diamond film to conduct electricity. Manufacturers plan to build a diamond chip that can withstand temperatures of 500 C, compared to only about 150 C for silicon chips. The chips would be most useful in devices located near hot-burning engines, such as those used in automobiles or airplanes.

Perhaps you would be more happy if we called them carbon chips, but clearly diamond chips sounds a lot better. If they offered you a telephone with carbon chips or a telephone with diamond chips, which one would you buy?

Must admit if the temperature can get as high as 500c the fan on my laptop would probably be perpetually busy. Either that or my laptop would burn a hole in just about any supporting surface it was using.

I agree diamond chips sounds better from a marketing or sales point of view even if it is not strictly scientifically accurate. But as a result I can see people cracking their laptop open and wondering where all the glittery stuff is!

 

[Cardinal Carminative]

Adding atoms of boron or nitrogen enables a diamond film to conduct electricity. Manufacturers plan to build a diamond chip that can withstand temperatures of 500 C, compared to only about 150 C for silicon chips. The chips would be most useful in devices located near hot-burning engines, such as those used in automobiles or airplanes.

Perhaps you would be more happy if we called them carbon chips, but clearly diamond chips sounds a lot better. If they offered you a telephone with carbon chips or a telephone with diamond chips, which one would you buy?

Just a quick suggestion, Joshua. You first paragraph is a verbatim quote from an article from the MIT Technology Review. You should acknowledge the source of that quote, because otherwise it makes it sound like your own words. Unless, of course, you yourself wrote the MIT Tech Review article, but even then it would be best to perhaps at least change t he words around.