Lifeboat Foundation

Once relegated to theory, a newly discovered quantum object could be used to create new devices that will outpace modern electronics.

A new kind of quantum object called orbital angular momentum monopole has been identified that could revolutionize the emerging field of orbitronics, which leverages the rotational quantum states of electrons for next-generation computing devices that are faster, more efficient, and with dramatically lower power consumption.

As a result, orbitronics is seen as a potential successor to traditional electronics, where data is stored, transferred, and manipulated by controlling electric currents within transistors. As transistor sizes approach the atomic scale in order to fit more components onto a single computer ship, there will eventually be a limit where a transistor cannot become any smaller.

Trillium, the sixth generation of our custom-designed chip known as the Tensor Processing Unit, or TPU. But what exactly *is* a TPU, and how is it different from a CPU or GPU? A Google expert explains ↓

Learn more from a Google expert about CPUs, GPUs and TPUs — and Google latest TPU, Trillium.

Chip-based tractor beam Integrated optical tweezers use an intensely focused beam of light to capture and manipulate biological particles without damaging the cells.

Optical manipulation techniques are garnering increased interest for biological applications.

Optical manipulation techniques are garnering increased interest for biological applications. Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have now developed a miniature, chip-based optical trap that acts as a “tractor beam” for studying DNA, classifying cells and investigating disease mechanisms. The device – which is small enough to fit in your hand – is made from a silicon-photonics chip and can manipulate particles up to 5 mm away from the chip surface, while maintaining a sterile environment for cells.

Continue reading “Chip-based optical tweezers manipulate microparticles and cells from a distance” »

Researchers have long sought to harness the power of light for computing, aiming to achieve higher speeds and lower energy consumption compared to traditional electronic systems. Optical computing, which uses light instead of electricity to perform calculations, promises significant advantages, including high parallelism and efficiency. However, implementing complex logic operations optically has been a challenge, limiting the practical…

👁️🔍 Scientists have developed a transparent camera using see-through technology, paving the way for hidden eye tracking devices in everyday objects. #InvisibleInnovation

The problem is that placing a camera in front of the eyes tends to block the view. And mounting them further away makes them less accurate, more bulky and often more power hungry because of the extra data processing they require. This has limited their utility in many situations.

What eye trackers need is a way of hiding light sensitive pixels in plain sight.

Continue reading “Transparent Camera Built With See-Through Photoarray” »

Researchers have developed a cutting-edge optical computing system that represents a major leap in the field of optical logic.

Traditionally, optical logic computing—using light to perform logical operations—has faced challenges when trying to handle more than four inputs due to limitations in…

Researchers have long sought to harness the power of light for computing, aiming to achieve higher speeds and lower energy consumption compared to traditional electronic systems. Optical computing, which uses light instead of electricity to perform calculations, promises significant advantages, including high parallelism and efficiency. However, implementing complex logic operations optically has been a challenge, limiting the practical applications of optical computing.

Continue reading “Large-scale programmable logic array achieves complex computations” »

Daniel C. Dennett is one of the most influential philosophers of our time, perhaps best known in cognitive science for his multiple drafts (or “fame in the brain”) model of human consciousness, and to the secular community for his 2006 book Breaking the Spell. Author and co-author of two-dozen books, he’s the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, and Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, where he taught our very own Point of Inquiry host Lindsay Beyerstein.

Beyerstein and Dennett catch up to discuss Dennett’s newest book, From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds. It’s a fresh look at Dennett’s earlier work on the subject of consciousness, taken in new directions as he seeks a “bottom-up view of creation.” Join Dennett and Beyerstein as they discuss the how’s and why’s of consciousness, not just from an evolutionary and neurological standpoint, but also through the lenses of computer science and human culture.

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Researchers explore an intriguing phenomenon in quantum systems, drawing inspiration from a recent quantum computing experiment.

Earlier this year, researchers at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Quantum Physics (CCQ) announced that they had successfully used a classical computer and sophisticated mathematical models to thoroughly outperform a quantum computer on a task that some thought only quantum computers could solve.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Tuesday (October 29) that Neuralink, the company he co-founded, should look to develop a brain implant which would alleviate neck and back pain. Neuralink develops makes Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) which can be implanted in human brain. Musk’s latest comment came in a post he made on X (formerly Twitter), the social media platform he owns.

I am increasingly convinced that @Neuralink should prioritize making an implant that can eliminate back & neck pain.

Continue reading “Elon Musk Says Neuralink Should Make Brain Chips That Will Eliminate Neck And Back Pain” »