Computer of the Future

[PerpetualImperfexion]

Had an interesting discussion in my computer science class today. We talked about how Star Trek was meant to take place 500 years in the future. My school takes advantage of iPads so we used this as an example. There are examples of tablets in Star Trek. This all lead to the question of what do you think computers will look like in 500 years (assuming we don't destroy ourselves)? We've come from computers that take up entire buildings/rooms to computers that fit in both your hands. With earlier computers you had to communicate to it via what is pretty much a switch board. Today you just tap the screen and boom you're off. What do you think the method of input will be? Before we had screens you had to read a series of lights that were on and off. How do you think the computer will respond to us? Just a fun hypothetical.

[gabzas331]

Nanotechnology will allow computers to become more compact and hugely more powerful, but I couldn't picture an actual 500-years-from-now computer. There are so many innovations that could/couldn't happen between now and then, but it's very exciting :D

[Mushin]

Computers in 500 years would pretty much encompass everything. With the rate technology is progressing now, more and more appliances and what not are becoming part-computer in one way or another. We now have refrigerators with touch screen modules on them. Within 500 years nearly everything will be intelligent with some kind of technology.

Also the scale at which we will be able to fit transistors on will be incredibly small; from the nano scale, to the quantum scale, and eventually even the femto scale. Most likely each person will have their own personal computer that is fully integrated into their anatomy. The computer display would be projected onto the users retina, and the software contained within themselves, thus completely eliminating the need for external hardware. Computers would be impossible to spot based on appearance, but fully ubiquitous in everything.

[PerpetualImperfexion]

Computers in 500 years would pretty much encompass everything. With the rate technology is progressing now, more and more appliances and what not are becoming part-computer in one way or another. We now have refrigerators with touch screen modules on them. Within 500 years nearly everything will be intelligent with some kind of technology.

Also the scale at which we will be able to fit transistors on will be incredibly small; from the nano scale, to the quantum scale, and eventually even the femto scale. Most likely each person will have their own personal computer that is fully integrated into their anatomy. The computer display would be projected onto the users retina, and the software contained within themselves, thus completely eliminating the need for external hardware. Computers would be impossible to spot based on appearance, but fully ubiquitous in everything.

We did have to write a paper on this and I based mine on the idea that computers were simply implanted in your head (kind of like you said about anatomy). Rather than the image being projected on the retina the computer would simply reroute/apply electrical signals in such a way that you "hallucinate" the equivalent of what you would see on a screen. In some cases you may not even need to see. For instance when making calculations the computer could just store the number in your short term memory. I also touched on the idea that you could communicate through the three other senses (smell, taste, touch). Your friend can't make it to the pizza party? Just upload the taste to the internet. Why not have sex over the internet (Terminal Man anyone)? The possibilities are almost endless because you're not only able to completely control reality, you are mixing the processing power of a computer with the intuition of the human mind. Ultimate artificial intelligence. How about hive mind education. Or immortality by having the computer store memories/personality and then implanting it into a clone upon death. Its insane to thing about it.

Rant over.

[Suave]

I think of somewhat of a google glass kind of heads up display only more powerful, or somewhat like a mass effect style laptop where it's like holographic.

[Human]

From the rate we advanced from the 1800s-2000s I'd say that science will be using big ol' quantum computers and our computers will be built into everything.

[Hypers]

Contact lens computers would be nice... Also computers that directly interact with brains...

[Synyster Shadows]

That would be amazing. But wouldn't there be a limit to how many transistors we can fit on an allotted space/chip/whatever?

[Mynick]

From the rate we advanced from the 1800s-2000s I'd say that science will be using big ol' quantum computers and our computers will be built into everything.
Actually quantum computers are slower than normal computers. Doing mathematical questions and stuff like that they are indeed faster than a normal computer but doing ordinary stuff they are slower. I think it explains in this video I think it explains in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_IaVepNDT4)

[Human]

Actually quantum computers are slower than normal computers. Doing mathematical questions and stuff like that they are indeed faster than a normal computer but doing ordinary stuff they are slower. I think it explains in this video I think it explains in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_IaVepNDT4)

Um... yes I know that which is why I said science will be using it, as science is generally based off maths :P

[Mynick]

Um... yes I know that which is why I said science will be using it, as science is generally based off maths :P
Yes, i just read it again. Sorry my bad :whoops: