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Category: computing – Page 291

New computing hardware needs a theoretical basis, says study

There is an intense, worldwide search for novel materials to build computer microchips with that are not based on classic transistors but on much more energy-saving, brain-like components. However, whereas the theoretical basis for classic transistor-based digital computers is solid, there are no real theoretical guidelines for the creation of brain-like computers.

Such a would be absolutely necessary to put the efforts that go into engineering new kinds of microchips on solid ground, argues Herbert Jaeger, Professor of Computing in Cognitive Materials at the University of Groningen.

Computers have, so far, relied on stable switches that can be off or on, usually transistors. These digital computers are logical machines and their programming is also based on logical reasoning. For decades, computers have become more powerful by further miniaturization of the transistors, but this process is now approaching a physical limit. That is why scientists are working to find new materials to make more versatile switches, which could use more values than just the digitals 0 or 1.

Ushering in the era of light-powered ‘multi-level memories’

We live in an era of data deluge. The data centers that are operated to store and process this flood of data use a lot of electricity, which has been called a major contributor to environmental pollution. To overcome this situation, polygonal computing systems with lower power consumption and higher computation speed are being researched, but they are not able to handle the huge demand for data processing because they operate with electrical signals, just like conventional binary computing systems.

Dr. Do Kyung Hwang of the Center for Opto-Electronic Materials & Devices of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Professor Jong-Soo Lee of the Department of Energy Science & Engineering at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) have jointly developed a new zero-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D-0D) semiconductor artificial junction material and observed the effect of a next-generation memory powered by light.

Transmitting data between the computing and storage parts of a multi-level computer using light rather than can dramatically increase processing speed.

Unraveling the Octopus’s 2.8 Billion-Base Genome

Summary: Scientists have successfully determined the genomic composition of octopuses, unveiling a whopping 2.8 billion base pairs across 30 chromosomes. This was a result of comprehensive, computer-assisted genome studies and comparisons with other cephalopod species.

This high-quality reference sequence paves the way for understanding octopus biology and tracing its evolutionary trajectory.

The findings, which shine a light on the dynamic evolutionary history of the octopus genome, will enrich research in neurobiology, behavior, and development.

Can Your Computer Be Accessed Remotely While It’s Off?

Can someone access your device even when it’s turned off? The frightening answer is, yes.

In an age where remote access is increasingly common, understanding the technology that makes it possible is crucial. One such technology is Intel’s Active Management Technology, a hardware-based feature that allows for impressive remote capabilities, even when your computer is turned off. While it’s a boon for IT administrators, it can be a potential risk if not configured correctly. So how does Intel AMT work? How can it be used? And how can you protect against it?

The four types of planetary civilizations, explained by Michio Kaku

Humanity is a type 0 civilization. Here’s what types 1, 2, and 3 look like, according to physicist Michio Kaku.

Is anybody out there? Renowned physicist Michio Kaku discusses we could identify and categorize advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.

According to Kaku, while recognizing intelligence in space is challenging, Quantum computers may be able to help sift through data for signals of intelligence, similarly to how we analyze patterns in dolphin communication.

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Reading the Invisible Library: the Herculaneum Papyrus Scrolls

Computer scientist Brent Seales and a team of researchers at the University of Kentucky are working to “digitally unwrap” ancient papyri from the Herculaneum library that were carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

Read about it here:

Since 2019, NEH has supported work by computer scientist Brent Seales and a team of researchers at the University of Kentucky in efforts to “digitally unwrap” ancient papyri from the Herculaneum library that were carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

These fragile coal-like scrolls have been completely unreadable for more than two centuries, but NEH funding has helped researchers refine computerized techniques to digitally unroll X-rayed layers of the compacted papyri to try to discern and decipher their carbon-based ink writings.

The 1,800 carbonized papyrus scrolls that were discovered in the 18th century in Herculaneum represent the only library from the classical world that has survived in its entirety, and contain significant philosophical and literary texts from ancient Greek and Roman scholars.

Xpanceo, a deep tech startup, raises $40M to focus on smart contact lenses

Smartphone sales have had their worst quarterly performance in over a decade, a fact that raises two big questions. Have the latest models finally bored the market with mere incremental improvements? And if they have, what will the next form factor (and function) be? Today a deep tech startup called Xpanceo is announcing $40 million in funding from a single investor, Opportunity Ventures in Hong Kong, to pursue its take on one of the possible answers to that question: computing devices in the form of smart contact lenses.

The company wants to make tech more simple, and it believes the way to do that is to make it seamless and more connected to how we operate every day. “All current computers will be obsolete [because] they’re not interchangeable,” said Roman Axelrod, who co-founded the startup with material scientist and physicist Valentyn S. Volkov. “We are enslaved by gadgets.”

With a focus on new materials and moving away from silicon-based processing and towards new approaches to using optoelectronics, Xpanceo’s modest ambition, Axelrod said in an interview, is to “merge all the gadgets into one, to provide humanity with a gadget with an infinite screen. What we aim for is to create the next generation of computing.”

Saturday Citations: Gravitational waves, time travel and the simulated universe hypothesis

This week, researchers proved empirically that life isn’t fair. Also, you’ll notice that, in a superhuman display of restraint, I managed to write a paragraph about the simulated universe hypothesis without once referencing “The Matrix.” (Except for this reference.)

Oh, so a European research team has proven that flipped coins aren’t actually fair? Buddy, life isn’t fair! Do you think the world owes you two equally probable outcomes as established by an axiomatic mathematical formalization? When I was a kid, we didn’t even have coins! We had to roll dice! It took 10 minutes to start a football game! Oh, so a coin is very slightly more likely to land on the same face as its initial position? Quit crying! It’s only a meaningful bias if you flip a coin multiple times!

Applying a recently discovered physical law, a physicist at the University of Portsmouth has contributed to the discussion about whether or not the universe is a simulation. The simulated universe hypothesis proposes that the universe is actually a simulation running on a vastly complex computing substrate and we’re therefore all just NPCs, walking through our animation loops and saying, “Hail, summoner! Conjure me up a warm bed!” and “Do you get to the Cloud District often?”