Tracing the Evolution of the Home Computer

The home personal computer as we know it today can be traced back to the computing architecture designed by John von Neumann back in 1945.  It defined computers as a synergy of hardware and software where the latter provided an instruction set that tells the hardware just what and how to do what it was designed to.  
Many will trace the origins of the computer back to the invention of the abacus.  To the extent that the abacus was a precursor of the binary mathematics that’s at the root of any computing machine language, that may be so.  
But as a tool that does the work we expect, the first computers were purely hardware machines that don’t have an iota of flexibility and were constructed purely as a scientific calculator with very narrow focus.  The way we know computers to behave and act really got its first grounding from von Neumann who devised the stored application or program architectures that’s basic to any computer.
Making Them Smaller
Certain technological milestones paved the way for computers to become what they are today.  The most defining milestone was the emergence of transistors and Integrated circuits in the 60s. Up until the late 50s, computers used vacuum tubes that occupied large rooms or entire building floors. Getting the most computing power for any given volume of space became the trend as computers the size of a large room came down to freezer and ref sizes.
Miniaturization became an essential factor in the market acceptability of computers.  But not at the expense of computing power for sure.  Companies can often allocate the rooms and facilities to support one, no matter how large.  The IBM and Unisys mainframe computers required large rooms, often complexes to house DASD storage arrays each the size of a large washing machine and CPUs the size of 14 cu.ft refrigerators that you often find them in clusters.
A Computer in Every Home
It couldn’t be done at those sizes and the millions you need to have one.  The technological trigger that started the road to home computing came with Intel’s 8080 line of processor chips.  It didn’t make the PC home-bound right away, it will take years for this.  After this last major technical landmark came a slew of developments that made computing power cheaper and their housing a lot smaller.
Of course, not all households could afford the Personal Computer at that time, as only the rich and corporate executives can.  That was in the early 80s.  In another 10 years, the PC will see its place in the home at a rate faster than it took corporations to realize they can’t do without computers.  By then the Intel processing power has increased a hundred fold while remaining as small as it was when it started with the IBM PC.  
The Current Generation
The internet has given rise to a new generation of computing devices that has one clear advantage of computers of the past – true portability.  You can carry a laptop anywhere on the planet and stay connected with your family and colleagues in the office.  Miniaturization has been unrelenting over the last decades, making the power of a mainframe computer reside on a footprint no larger than half the size of a credit card and soldered with related component no bigger than a grade school notebook.
The new generation will see a more of this happening.  Already computer makers are talking about nanotechnologies than can further compress the computer power into even smaller footprints.  Our kids are sure to benefit from them soon.  GP

Nanites and Self Evolution

Imagine having the ability to rewrite your own DNA by thinking or change the chemical structure and shape of your body at will…

Nanotechnology is still very new and not very useful, yet it’s applications in medicine and engineering are nearly boundless. They can target and destroy a cancer or viruses without surgery, radiation or harmful medicines. They can also build new nanites and other useful structures on the same scale. Potential applications might be making the next generation of computer chips or maintaining youth.

Nanites ould require a very sophisticated program similar to A.I. in order to coordinate millions of them. This type of program is based on Boolean logic and any complete human language written into the program. The basic concept is that humans use language to reason and a computer with a complete understanding of human reasoning can think and learn like any human.

Nanites serve two purposes: self replication and a useful function. Each nanite can contain a small processor and memory and coordinate actions and processing with the other nanites.

Students at Stanford found a way to link neurons from the brain with a computer. Imagine how fast you could solve math problems if you could access a super computer just by thinking about it. You could also store any of your memories with all your senses and recall them is perfect detail at any time. This is the same neural bridge that could be used to direct nanites inside or ouside your body. It could also be used to communicate significantly faster with other humans.

You could also change or enhance any part of your body at will. This includes things like removing all toxins, bacteria, viruses and scar tissue. You could even enhance or repair your eye sight or hearing. Disabilities and damage could be repaired at will, and you could change the structure or materials in your body to adapt to unique environments like space or deep in the ocean.

I know this one is a bit scifi, but the technology will get there eventually.

The Evolution of Biotechnology: From Natufians to Nanotechnology

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The book traces the evolution of biotechnology in the broadest sense from prehistoric organismal manipulation by our first settled ancestors through to speculation about future directions for the technology as it increasingly intersects with other high technologies such as IT and Nanotech. The trajectory is demonstrated by various events throughout history that have intersected or built on one another to lead to the forward progression of a technology. Obviously, with such a broad canvas much selectivity is involved in the choices made to advance the narrative and, while the subjects chosen are not capricious, they are influenced by the author’s perspective. In addition we have made some attempt, where validated resources exist, to present our perspective on how individual personalities and their particular contextual experience influenced the direction in which they carried the science or the science carried them.

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An Introduction to Nanosciences and Nanotechnology

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This book recalls the basics required for an understanding of the nanoworld (quantum physics, molecular biology, micro and nanoelectronics) and gives examples of applications in various fields: materials, energy, devices, data management and life sciences. It is clearly shown how the nanoworld is at the crossing point of knowledge and innovation.
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Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature

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Veteran NPR^® science correspondent and award-winning radio and TV journalist Ira Flatow’s enthusiasm for all things science has made him a beloved on-air journalist. For more than thirty-five years, Flatow has interviewed the top scientists and researchers on many NPR and PBS programs, including his popular Science Friday^® spot on Talk of the Nation. In Present at the Future, he shares the groundbreaking revelations from those conversations, including the latest on nanotechnology, space travel, global warming, alternative energies, stem cell research, and using the universe as a super–super computer. Flatow also further explores his favorite topic of the science of everyday life with explanations on why the shower curtain sticks to you, the real story of why airplanes fly, and much more.

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