According to its creators, the process that gave rise to this world first is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition and “can actually start to compete with silicon.” Carbon nanotubes appear to be the future of computing.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have turned to wax to help push microprocessors to the limit. The wax can efficiently absorb heat as it changes phase and begins to melt. In recent tests, they boosted an Intel Core i7 microprocessor — which normally runs at around 10 watts — up to 50 watts.
Neuromorphic computing designs have yet to compete with traditional computing architectures, which continue to impress. Researchers have now developed a new computing platform known as Neurogrid, that runs around 100,000 times more efficiently. Each Neurogrid board, running at 5 watts, can simulate detailed neuronal activity of one million neurons — and it can now do it in real time.
A new way to build computers is on the horizon, and Xerox intends to be the company that brings it to us. Their new technique, known as xerographic micro-assembly, breaks down old-fashioned silicon chip designs into thousands of tiny chiplets, and then custom assembles them with an advanced and mysterious 3D printing machine.
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