MC 2: MC2 Post 1709 First Computer Made of Carbon Nanotubes is Unveiled

Sunday, September 29, 2013

MC2 Post 1709 First Computer Made of Carbon Nanotubes is Unveiled

The first computer built entirely with carbon nanotubes has been unveiled, opening the door to a new generation of digital devices.

"Cedric" is only a basic prototype but could be developed into a machine which is smaller, faster and more efficient than today's silicon models.

Nanotubes have long been touted as the heir to silicon's throne, but building a working computer has proven awkward.

The breakthrough by Stanford University engineers is published in Nature. Cedric is the most complex carbon-based electronic system yet realised.

So is it fast? Not at all. It might have been in 1955.

The computer operates on just one bit of information, and can only count to 32.

From: http://www.bb c.co.uk

Cedric's vital statistics

    1 bit processor
    Speed: 1 kHz
    178 transistors
    10-200 nanotubes per transistor
    2 billion carbon atoms
    Turing complete
    Multitasking

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24232896

TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/pdyvrnw

Important Point:

"There is no limit to the tasks it can perform, given enough memory".

In computing parlance, Cedric is "Turing complete".

In principle, it could be used to solve any computational problem.

It runs a basic operating system which allows it to swap back and forth between two tasks - for instance, counting and sorting numbers.

And unlike previous carbon-based computers,

Cedric gets the answer right every time.

=========================================

Shanghai Free-Trade Zone Launched

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk

A free-trade zone in Shanghai, China's economic hub, has been launched as the world's second-biggest economy prepares to test long-awaited economic reforms. Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng attended the opening ceremony for the zone, which covers 29 sq km (11 sq miles).

Mr Gao said the zone would help "implement a more active opening-up strategy". Restrictions on foreign investment will be eased inside the area and interest rates will be set by markets.

Among other measures to be trialled inside the zone are allowing China's heavily-regulated currency, the yuan, to be swapped freely for other currencies, China's State Council said on Friday.

Liberal economists both inside and outside China have long feared that China's three-decade-long experiment in opening up its economy has recently stalled, rolled back even, because of powerful vested interests.

Now the country's premier, Li Keqiang, has signalled that he is preparing to experiment with ways to take on those interests by loosening the government's tight grip on foreign investment, the currency market and the banking system.

It has invited comparisons between Mr Li and China's great architect of economic opening, Deng Xiaoping, who also started small before extending his reforms country-wide. But some observers are urging caution because the detailed rules about exactly what will and won't be permitted inside the zone won't be published until later this year.

Eighteen sectors, ranging from finance to shipping,

will have regulations loosened in the zone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Read the Post linked below for why this is 'Significant'.

Wingman.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24322313

TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/mproc55

===================================