By the end of the next decade, computer technology will have advanced far beyond what it is today. We will have minicomputers and digital watches, not to mention artificial intelligent androids, robotic androids walking around in our homes. But what about the future of technology? Will it be possible to construct a human brain that can think, reason and interact with fellow humans and animals? If so, will mankind still be able to survive?
Well, one way to keep our species alive is to continue to push forward the forward progression of science and technology. This is why scientists are trying to find ways to get better VLSI or Volumetric Light Storage Integrated Device. This is the current mantra in R&D labs across the country. It’s an acronym that stands for “Voltaic Light Switching in Silicon.” It refers to the use of carbon nanotube and other composite materials to create a switch which could be used as the brain of a future computer.
Theoretically, we might be able to create computers with just a tiny bit of carbon nanotube. To do this, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed transistors with a nanoleimeter sized electrode. When this tiny electrode is put near the transistors, it causes the carbon nanotube to align itself in such a way as to form a molecular bridge. When this occurs, the two materials are able to communicate with one another, opening the door to cellular automata.
In future articles, I will explain how cellular automata work and what kind of future computer technology might be based on it. In short, my speculation is that future computers will utilize carbon nanotube transistors to perform basic tasks, such as conducting electricity. The key to making this possible is understanding how these devices work, since understanding is the key to building them better. Researchers have already constructed biological robots, such as bacteria, which can use carbon nanotube as part of their body. My guess is that in the not too distant future, transistors will be constructed using carbon nanotube and other composite materials similar to these.
Some computer technologies are already being tested right now. For example, Google is working on a chip that doubles the power of any current computer by allowing it to run twice as many programs as its predecessors. Energy efficient solar panels are being installed all over the world to power electric appliances. Even hydrogen fuel cells have been developed by scientists to power air conditioners in future automobiles. All these technologies will play a major role in future energy and transportation costs, thereby reducing the cost of doing business for the average person.
The future of computer technologies is coming, and we should start preparing now for the changes that will happen. One day soon, you may be able to do your computing activities from your home, using only renewable energy. You may be able to run all of your electronic activities from your water closet. Or, you might just be watching a little TV, reading your e-mails, or listening to your favorite music as you save the environment from further pollution by the thousands.
