How Computers will get Faster?

--------- #1373 - How Computers Will Get Faster?

- Computers can gain more power using multi-core processors. But, computers use more power to run more processors. Computers need a system that communicates available power and computing needs between its parts so it can work more efficiently. Only run what is needed at any one time.

- We need a “ self-aware” computer.

- “Application Heartbeats” has invented software to monitor different applications to know which ones are being used, and which ones need resources to operate at peak efficiency.

- A computer operating system that is well designed will learn from experience and continually optimize its performance.

- Someday computers will not just have two or four multi-cores, they will have thousands. Optimizing performance between this many multi-cores will require a self-aware system.

- Computers are being designed for “cognitive computing”. Already microchips are being built with 256 artificial neurons. This is enough neuron brain power to beat you at Pong, or, to navigate a simple maze. The next step is to build chips with 10,000,000 artificial neuron processors with 100 trillion synapses. This accomplishment would be about ½ a brain’s worth of computing power. The design has this computer about the size of a quart of milk and consuming 1,000 watts. In contrast, the human brain consumes 20 watts and fits nicely inside the head.

- Ordinary microprocessors pass instructions and data through a single, narrow channel which significantly limits computing speed.

- Artificial neurons have their own channel that is massive parallel processing. IBM has this working in their lab, “Neuromorphic Processing”.

- These neuro-processors are excellent in pattern recognition applications. This computer could quickly pick a face out of a crowd ( and, run a police records check on that individual). However, neuro-processors are not as good at math as traditional computers. So, the two architectures will have to complement each other. Neuro-processors do not do addition and subtraction well. I know the ones in my head struggle with it. IBM will be making an announcement soon, stay tuned.

- The fastest computer resides in Japan. It computes 4 times faster and holds 10 times more data than the human brain. It also uses enough electricity to power 10,000 homes. By comparison the human brain is but a dim light bulb. Here are some computer comparisons to get you grounded on the subject:

STARTING WITH MEMORY: ( a byte is 7 bits and one computer word )

------- Super Computer ------------ 30,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
------- Internet ---------------------- 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
------- Brain ------------------------ 3,500,000,000,000,000 bytes
------ I Pad ------------------------- 64,000,000,000 bytes
------ Human genome ----------------- 750,000,000 bytes
------ Cat’s brain -----------------------93,000,000,000,000 bytes

NEXT WITH SPEED: ( a mega flop is 1 million operations per second)

------- Super Computer ------------ 8,200,000,000 megaflops
------- Internet --------------------
------- Brain ------------------------ 2,200,000,000 megaflops
------ I Pad ------------------------- 170 megaflops
------ Human genome ------------
------ Cat’s brain -----------------------61,000,000 megaflops

THEN TO POWER CONSUMPTION: ( an LED consumes 1 watt )

------- Super Computer ------------ 9,900,000 watts
------- Internet --------------------
------- Brain ------------------------ 20 watts
------ I Pad ------------------------- 2.5 watts
------ Human genome ------------
------ Cat’s brain -------------------

Computers beat us on memory storage and speed of operations but we beat computers on efficiency. So there. So does the cat.
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707-536-3272, Wednesday, January 4, 2012