Sean Carton's Radio Weblog

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

The Origins of Cyberspace: On sale!

Christie's is auctioning off some of the earliest documents related to the development of computers and robotics. Buy your own piece of cyberspace history!

11:20:08 AM

Transistors: Vacuuum Tubes of the Future?

I've been reading Hacking Matter, a fascinating look at a future where we may be able to change the physical properties of objects simply by dialing in new settings for the "artificial atoms" they're constructed from. There's a hell of a lot of work still left to do in terms of actually building the PNP junctions small enough to create the "quantum dots" necessary, but some recent work just announced by Hewlett Packard may provide some indication that this kind of thing is even possible. Researchers there aren't doing research in artificial atoms, but they have succeeded in creating "crossbar latches," supertiny (2-3 nanometers) junctions that do the same job as transistors (typically around 90 nanometers). In the not so distant future we may look back at silicon transistors in the same way we look back at vacuum tubes.

6:28:36 AM

A Resume to Aspire To

Now this is the kind of Renaissance guy the digital media world needs more of! Read the whole entry (paying special attention to the end) if you're wondering what I mean. He's created award winning designs, teaches at NYU, and played with Twisted Sister? Buckaroo Banzai would be proud!

5:32:07 AM