“Researchers at the University of California Berkley have developed a novel method to squeeze light into extremely small spaces, an important hurdle that optical computing faced. Previously researchers could get light to fit in relatively small spaces — even as small as 200 nm, about 400 times smaller than a human hair. This size helps to dictate the necessary size for the smallest fiber optic fibers, which for various reasons are about five times this width — or about 1 µm wide,” Jason Mick blogs for DailyTech.
“With the breakthrough, researchers were able to cut light down to fit into spaces a mere 10 nm, 20 times smaller than ever before. The space was a mere five times the width of a single piece of DNA, a size previously thought infeasible to shrink light to. Rupert Oulton, research associate in the group led by mechanical engineering Professor Xiang Zhang, stated of the discovery, ‘This technique could give us remarkable control over light and that would spell out amazing things for the future in terms of what we could do with that light,'” Mick reports.
“Mr. Oulton theorizes that the advance and further compression will yield key breakthroughs due to the properties of electricity and magnetism. In order to achieve an optical computer, you would need at least some electrical components. However the vastly different scales of electricity and light mean that they do not interact neatly or behave in similar ways. He believes by shrinking light to wavelengths similar to that of electrons in computer systems, a plethora of new uses will arise,” Mick reports.
“Mr. Oulton believes the research is a giant leap towards the greatest challenge of optical computing — achieving unity between light and electricity. He stated, ‘We are pulling optics down to the length scales of electrons. And that means we can potentially do some things we have never done before,'” Mick reports.
“The project was funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense,” Mick reports.
More details in the full article here.
That all sounds good but the installer still generally has ten thumbs that they try to use to install…
Just a through…
“Mind if we invade? A little “Shock and Awe”?”
Depends on where you’re from.
The UK? Naw, we’re not puttin’ up with your crap again.
Canada? Hee hee, just joking.
Saudi Arabia (or any other oil rich nation)?
Hell yes, bring it on! We’ll fold faster than those ‘cheese eating surrender monkeys’ if we can get gas for a buck a gallon. We’ll even convert to Islam if it means being able to drive our SUVs.
Sigh…I am going on vacation. When I come back some of you dumbasses better upgrade your comments to be either funny or intelligent. As for the others, I salute your witty, thoughtful and often hilarious-fun to read responses. You know who you are!!!!
Just think, if it wasn’t for the research done in the name of war, our Macs and PCs would consist of a stick and a patch of dirt.
Still, Macs would have a better operating system.
Buster,
Have fun and be careful with that nude sunbathing.
This sun this time of year can make for a major weenie roast.
Uh oh, forgot about the Moral Majority.
Sir Gill, what will MDN do when your convalescence is over?
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I would love to have the $ to get a Prius, they are real good cars… I guess even a nazi could drive one.
@Sir Gill Bates
Thanks however we have had rain everyday for a week here in Montreal. My hypothetically exposed weenie is safe.
Besides I will be wearing work pants while I am building my ark. Only 32 more days to go….
“Just think, if it wasn’t for the research done in the name of war, our Macs and PCs would consist of a stick and a patch of dirt. “
wait, that would be different for windows users….. how?
oh yeah, you don’t need electricity for dirt, and it doesn’t crash as often!
You just know they got this technology from that alien spaceship in that Nevada warehouse – you know the one that Will Smith works at.
Micro Me,
“Sir Gill, what will MDN do when your convalescence is over?”
They will suffer some well deserved peace and quiet.
Back to work next Monday! Yeehaw!
Buster,
In that case, watch out for shrinkage.
I gotta make it up there someday. I hear Montreal is nice.
shen,
“oh yeah, you don’t need electricity for dirt, and it doesn’t crash as often!”
See, there’s always a bright side to everything.
Instead of Vista, MicroSoft would have called their operating system Alluvium. Kinda catchy.
Cubert,
For your own good, you really shouldn’t be spreading that around.
ALL EXTREMISTS SHOULD BE SHOT.
You are now free to return to your routine.
Let us now give thanks to liberal hippies Steve Jobs and Steve Woz, living in liberal hippie Northern California, for creating the Apple computer.
Very impressed. Smegma in every post.
You’re confusing it with the smegma between your teeth.
@Scot Murphy
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