Tiffany 11 - Approaching Limits in Computer Power
From the moment the first computer was invented, everyone knew that it would revolutionize society. Computers are extremely powerful and could accurately perform many operations in a short amount of time, and their power has continued to grow exponentially. Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, created Moore's law, which states that the number of transistors on a silicon chip doubles almost every two years. This encapsulates the ever-increasing power of computers.
However, Moore's law was an observation over a period in history, and we are starting to reach the limits of its application. In 2010, Moore declared that "the laws of physics would call a halt to the exponential increases." This is because the sizes of the transistors are "approaching the size of atoms, which is a fundamental barrier." He predicts that we will reach that limit in another 10 to 20 years.
As the computer power was growing, programmers were observed to have gotten lazier in writing the most efficient code as there was no need to. However, since we are approaching the limits to computing power, this industry may have to depend on going back to "writing leaner, more efficient code." Programmers now are tasked with coming up with "ingenious ways of packing more computing power into machines . . . in the hope of postponing the awful day when the silicon chip finally runs out of the road."
It is scary to think about the growth of computer power coming to a halt. In my mind, computers have always been unrealistically powerful to me, and it blows my mind when their abilities are put into perspective with what humans can do. I was also always certain that technology would continue to develop rapidly and increase computers' power forever. I never really thought about there being a physical barrier, and the fact that we are approaching it soon is slightly scary. However, I am sure that our generation of innovators will be able to think of a solution to continue growing the power of our technology.
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Hey Tiffany! Computers are mind blowing and the technology and its uses are even more complex and endless. It's really hard to comprehend how far the tech industry has blown up these past few years. The Y2K boom brought on an influx of new engineers who’ve only advanced our technology exponentially in the past 22 years. Of course, technology was advanced before that, but it's really crazy to actually understand the magnitude of change that has occurred in technology over the past few decades. I, in no way, can even begin to comprehend what technology will look like in the future, but I’m sure its reach and power will be endless and all-consuming. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Tiffany! Moore’s law has always been applicable as far back as I was alive, and so it is kind of scary that its era might be ending and we might be approaching the absolute limit of computer power. However, I suppose things like quantum computing still do exist, so there is hope. As someone with a negative amount of interest in coding, I have to say that the idea of figuring out how to make it more efficient seems like a daunting task and I am greatly thankful that I will not be doing this. However, maybe it will create a new y2k type situation and help create innovation in an industry that really will improve humanity as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI do not completely understand physics as much as I find it fascinating. I do have a couple close friends who are absolute physics nerds and I love listening to them go on about these sorts of things and this passage was somewhat nostalgic for me. The concept of an end on the abilities of technology is almost scary, especially considering how vast and unmovable its presence seems. It will be interesting to see how the innovators of our age will move around this impending digital breakdown.
ReplyDeleteHey Tiffany, Moore's declaration of our computers' computing power coming to a halt soon as we will soon reach atomic sizes for our transistors is a question that has definitely been tackled in the industry. In response to this question, computer engineers have began working on quantum computers, which will go beyond the hard set limit of the fundamental atom. I think these quantum computers will be the answer to the future of computing, much similar to how the computer revolution had transformed our world similarly.
ReplyDeleteTiffany, this blog post really opened my eyes to the future. It is crazy to think that computers might reach their absolute power soon. Just a couple of decades ago, computers used to take up the whole room and now they are able to fit in our school backpacks. It is crazy to see how exponentially the power of the computer grew. Before, the basics that everyone needed to know at any job was reading, wiring, and speaking but now knowing how to operate a computer is a part of that list. Any profession you go into requires a form of a computer which has started to make people lazy. As the power of the computer grows, the laziness of people does as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany! It is really shocking to think that we might reach the limits of computer power soon. The possibilities are endless, and as we continued to use them, I don't think that we really thought to consider that a time would come when it was pushed to its limit. We've been focused on efficiency and size, making both actual computers and silicon chips smaller and smaller while making them more efficient and powerful. As the power of computers has grown, we have become much more reliant on them and have taken them for granted. It will definitely be so interesting to see how we overcome this barrier and what will happen in the future.
ReplyDeleteHey Tiffany, the complexity of computers is really fascinating! You mentioned how the sizes of transistors will eventually become too small and reach a limit; hopefully people will eventually find a solution to this with some sort of next-generation process. I never really thought about how computer power will eventually reach its limits as I mainly just thought it could just keep advancing, but this blog was really enlightening. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany, I didn’t know much about the great advancements of computers before reading your blog, but now I agree that it does worry me that in the near future computers may no longer be able to upgrade or become more powerful. Oftentimes, it is hard for me to imagine our society having hovering cars or huge screened electronics but since humans are the smartest animals on Earth, hopefully in the future, there is someone who will discover different advancements for technology.
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany! I can tell from reading your blog that you know a lot about the history and structure of computers. I remember learning about Moore’s law in CSP and I am shocked to find out that we are soon approaching the limits of computing. As you said, it is scary and even unbelievable to think about reaching the limit in expanding the power of computers as technology seems to be an unstoppable force that keeps evolving and getting better. I wonder what impact this halt in computing power will have on the computer industry. Thank you for sharing!
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