[Colchester] The future of the computer and Open Source

[Wayland Sothcott]

Toby Whaymand wrote:
> After watching TV about computers I was wondering about the future what do you guys think the computer would be like in 20 years time or even ten years time?
>   
Toby,

There are a couple of breakthroughs that cold change everything. One 
would be to transmit a video signal into the brain.

The other is to go beyond binary. Computers are deterministic, they only 
do what their inputs and programming allow. It's always a result of what 
came before. You may not be ale to shortcut the prediction of what they 
will do but the same memory and input status will always produce the 
same result.

The reason for this is that the are specifically designed to see only a 
0 or a 1 even though the electrical levels may be very subtle. If they 
failed to do this then they would be considered broken.

In the real world we are not deterministic. We have free will, our 
actions are not governed by what came before. In fact the real world the 
present is often affected by the future. Impossible in a computer. But 
what if it were possible? Obviously the unnatural rigidity of the binary 
system would have to be loosened up a bit. Maybe quantum computers can 
leap into the future? We know that in quantum physics the present is 
often decided by a future event.

A computer based on quantum principles may well be nearer than we 
realize. At the current small scales chip designers are currently 
fighting to keep quantum effects out of chip design. But they may need 
to embrace them as chip designs get smaller. They may first be seen as 
random number generators for cryptography, but then they will be used to 
enhance game realizum and provide intelegene for cyber characters.

ther future ----->   this way