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SWR Productions Forum _ The Databank _ New IBM Transistors hit 100GHz
Posted by: JRK 7 Feb 2010, 18:19
It's just been a little over a week since IBM researchers announced that they managed to open up a bandgap for graphene-based field-effect transistors, but they're now already back to show off what that's made possible: a 100GHz graphene transistor. What's more, this latest record-setting transistor (which IBM hopes will one day replace silicon transistors) was made using processing technology that's compatible with that currently used in advanced silicon device fabrication, which should no doubt help speed up its eventual commercialization. Of course, any widespread adoption is still quite a ways away, but IBM says that this new transistor "demonstrates clearly that graphene can be utilized to produce high performance devices and integrated circuits." For those keeping score, this first-of-its-kind transistor already beats the frequency performance of current state-of-the-art silicon transistors of the same gate length, which now top out at a mere 40GHz.
Imagine hundreds of million of these in a CPU. The next decade will be sweet with upcoming graphene electronics, photonics (using photons instead of electrons in circuits), and the era of quantum computing.
Posted by: Pickysaurus 7 Feb 2010, 19:20
Exciting stuff
Posted by: Venom(BR) 7 Feb 2010, 19:32
I wonder how awesome games are going to get. 
Posted by: Pickysaurus 7 Feb 2010, 19:32
Or virtual reality 
Posted by: Prophet of the Pimps 9 Feb 2010, 22:21
so our kids are gonna own watches that have move power then our computers. Great.
Posted by: partyzanPaulZy 10 Feb 2010, 0:23
Hmm, carbon instead of silicone... I knew about semiconductive plastics, but transistor from graphene...
Long live Moore's Law!
actually I have read 1 CPU should be smarter than 8 billion people in the 2050... I am too lazy to count that, but I think it fits.
However I'm not very keen to let myself implant chip into brain.
Posted by: Pickysaurus 10 Feb 2010, 0:46
It's only a matter of time until we learn to download a conciousness into a computer... if everyone lived in a digital world. We could reduce our carbon footprint :3
Posted by: KamuiK 10 Feb 2010, 2:57
At first I was like 
Then I was like And finally I was like
The technological evolution is quite awesome recently. Now where have I put my Virtual Reality device ... 
Posted by: Alias 10 Feb 2010, 3:07
inb4 sentient robots that kill us all
Posted by: JRK 10 Feb 2010, 3:29
you're not human without a body
Posted by: Comr4de 10 Feb 2010, 4:28
Define "humanity" 
In b4 philosophical derailment.
Posted by: Venom(BR) 10 Feb 2010, 6:57
I'd gladly abandon this carcass of meat over a flawless body or being a free unrestrained, immortal consciousness in cyberspace.
Posted by: Pickysaurus 10 Feb 2010, 13:07
Amen to that Vemon ^.^
Posted by: Alias 10 Feb 2010, 13:17
I'd gladly die over being an emotionless digital blip.
Once we lose our mortality we cease to be human, or organic at all for that matter.
Cue the Matrix. Living in a flawed reality is better than living in a flawless dream.
Posted by: KamuiK 10 Feb 2010, 13:30
I'd gladly live as a cyborg over being a helpless little human. GITS ftw. The future is for cyborgs.
Posted by: JRK 10 Feb 2010, 15:07
Once we lose our mortality we cease to be human, or organic at all for that matter.
Cue the Matrix. Living in a flawed reality is better than living in a flawless dream.
Indeed! Much as I love technology, I'd rather stay organic and live for about a century anyway.
Posted by: C.o.m.m.a.n.d.e.r 11 Feb 2010, 0:35
the human race is pathetic ide rather live in a dream world any day
Edit: i was browsing my usual and i found something that would fit the topic were on. http://dvice.com/archives/2010/02/how-long-until.php
Posted by: ComeOn225 11 Feb 2010, 7:54
100 GHz! That's just plain awesome!
Reminds me of the techological advances this world made. In ALL fields of science. Like the knowledge of diseases and newer rockets to send us to Mars.
Posted by: partyzanPaulZy 11 Feb 2010, 15:49
Well, cyborg mutant seems to be both awesome and terrifying...
I prefer genetic engineering than cyber implants... however when nanites will be advanced enough... we (read nanomachine engineers) will be near to create Assurans (Replicators) from Stargate.
From this point I can sence there will be fully programmable nanites in 20 years from now (nanites already exist - they are so called chemical robots - project http://www.chobotix.cz/).
But still... nanites are future, IT present. However I am afraid gaming OS Faildoze will be still much slower than linux with latest KDE or GNOME despite this progress.
Posted by: Alias 11 Feb 2010, 15:55
If you were cyborg, you'd still need some organic parts. Organic matter WILL ALWAYS die. If you were 100% digital you would lose free will.
I'd support human cloning over digitisation any day, however both of them mean we overstay our welcome. We're not meant to live forever, and if we did we would no longer be human.
Posted by: Pickysaurus 11 Feb 2010, 17:33
I plan to live forever, who cares if it loses our humanity 
Posted by: Alias 11 Feb 2010, 17:48
Have fun being a machine with no free will.
Posted by: Pickysaurus 11 Feb 2010, 18:25
How does it lose free will exactly?
All you lose is mortality
Posted by: KamuiK 11 Feb 2010, 19:01
All you lose it mortality
Quote of the year! Fyi Alias, scientists go with the opinion 'we must become cyborgs to stay the ruling species' very well. And I do not mind that. As I already wrote, GITS becoming real is a dream of me. Well not an actual dream, since it is possible to do.
Posted by: Venom(BR) 11 Feb 2010, 20:41
I'll be the first in line to become a cyborg.
Posted by: Alias 11 Feb 2010, 23:26
All you lose is mortality
In the context of this thread, there are multiple types of existence:
Organic human:
Consciousness embedded into a human body
100% organic
Full complete control over self's organic body (i.e. walking down the street can only be done if you tell your body to do so)
Control over self's digital form (i.e. our accounts on this forum)
Control over non-self mechanics (i.e. crane operator)
Variable control over non-self digital bodies depending on situation (i.e. if you really were a 'consciousness' embedded in a computer, I could merely pull the plug to your power or give you a virus)
Requires other natural living beings for food (the only non-organic thing we eat is salt)
Mortal, as all organic matter decomposes after time
Digital human:
Consciousness embedded into technology
100% digital
Very limited control over digital self (i.e. cannot control what somebody is going to do in the physical realm to the digital realm such as the power pulling analogy)
Requires large amounts of technology infrastructure (without power or a digital realm to operate, your body is 'dead')
Extremely limited control over beings in the physical realm (you as a computer cannot tell a physical human what to do without mutual consent, organic humans can operate by force)
Loss of free will as your consciousness can easily be controlled from outside the digital realm, computers do exactly what they are told, human error causes computer error (i.e. a non-sentient digital being will be a perfect operator of the parameters given to it, a sentient digital being is still vulnerable to changes in programming)
Immortal, in a perfect world. Possibility for data corruption, viruses, an eternal state without power (aka death) and also reprogramming.
Mechanical human:
Consciousness embedded into technology, ALONG with a mechanical body
Part digital part mechanical
Limited control over digital self (can actually protect oneself from threats from the physical world, but is still extremely vulnerable to things that only affect mechanical or digital beings, power loss/EMP for example)
Limited control over mechanical self (can only operate the mechanical body to the specifications given by the manufacturer, i.e. possibility for manufacturer to implement an 'override' system where the mechanical side of the body is disconnected from the digital side)
Requires large amount of technology infrastructure to operate in both realms
Digital body immortal, mechanical body immortal. Possibility for data corruption, viruses, power death and also reprogramming.
Cyborg:
Consciousness embedded into organic matter, controlling a body that could be either 90% organic or 90% mechanical or somewhere in between.
Part organic part mechanical
Limited control over organic self (can actually protect oneself from threats from the physical world, but is still extremely vulnerable to things that only affect mechanical or digital beings, power loss/EMP for example)
Limited control over mechanical self (can only operate the mechanical body to the specifications given by the manufacturer, i.e. possibility for manufacturer to implement an 'override' system where the organic side of the body is disconnected from the digital side)
Requires enough technology infrastructure to operate the mechanical parts of the body body
Requires enough natural living beings to operate the organic parts of the body
Organic parts of the body mortal, it will always be decaying, even at a slower rate. Mechanical body immortal, but loses control
---
Functionally, the only one with full control of oneself regardless of circumstances is the organic human. Once you start implementing technology you no longer have full control. The technology runs to it's specification and no further. A completely digitised human can be easily manipulated from the outside world. A completely mechanical or semi-mechanical human can only run the mechanical side the way the they set out. If they implement an override you have no way of preventing it happening.
I don't see the point living for longer if all you're going to be is be the puppet of somebody else. That is not living.
Posted by: JRK 11 Feb 2010, 23:28
A life without emotion wouldn't be enjoyable!
Posted by: IonCharge 11 Feb 2010, 23:59
Well i plan to live forever: so far so good.
I'd prefer to stay human and live a normal existence, and would only used cloned matter of myself if it was kept in a complete vegetative state
Posted by: KamuiK 14 Feb 2010, 20:38
Consciousness embedded into a human body
100% organic
Full complete control over self's organic body (i.e. walking down the street can only be done if you tell your body to do so)
Control over self's digital form (i.e. our accounts on this forum)
Control over non-self mechanics (i.e. crane operator)
Variable control over non-self digital bodies depending on situation (i.e. if you really were a 'consciousness' embedded in a computer, I could merely pull the plug to your power or give you a virus)
Requires other natural living beings for food (the only non-organic thing we eat is salt)
Mortal, as all organic matter decomposes after time
Sorry to rip your post apart, but this part of it is the flawed one. Humans NEVER have full control.
Posted by: JRK 14 Feb 2010, 20:52
Your consciousness may not have full control but technically your whole does. Reflexes and other uncontrollable actions are still under human control.
Posted by: KamuiK 15 Feb 2010, 0:30
Nope, the point of a reflex is it is not under your direct control. Once you developed it, your body does it no matter what your brain says (except you cannot do it because of physical reasons). One such reflex is your eyes adjusting to light intensity, you do it automatically without needing your active self-awareness do it. I know it is pointless to state this inlight of the wohle debatte, but people should accept they are never in full control.
Posted by: Alias 15 Feb 2010, 0:37
With reflexes, it's still your own body telling your own body what to do. Even though you wouldn't be in full control, there are no external entities involved in a reflex.
Posted by: KamuiK 15 Feb 2010, 0:40
Neither is it your mind. But as I already stated above, a discussion like this is nitpicky and pointless.
Btw price question: are people with artificial hearts cyborgs?
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