The universe is not required to be in harmony with human ambition.
... but sometimes it is anyway.
Just when I think that all TV is nothing but shit something like A for Andromeda comes along and blows me away with such clever beauty and good old fashioned sci-fi-cold-war-paranoia-human-spirit-triumphs-ness that I can’t think of anything to say.
So I am not.
But I am in geek mode and today I read biggest tech story of all time – but it wasn’t in any news papers, it wasn’t on the TV - in fact hardly anyone noticed it. It was in the New Scientist – the voice of the scientific community.
Some nerd reckons he has worked out a way to build a quantum computer. He reckons it will take about 10 years to perfect. And as soon as anyone does anything you know there will be some handy Chinese to mass produce and sell it cheap.
Quantum computing would be the biggest revolution in computing since the silicone chip if not more so. They could hypothetically be a million or so more times faster than the quickest super computer today. They can get the results from programmes they haven’t actually run! How mind blowing is that.
Some people explain quantum mechanics in terms of multiple universes. Like Schrödinger’s Cat - there was one universe where the cat was alive and one where it was not. You only find out which one you are in when you open the box.
To continue the metaphor quantum computers run in multiple universes simultaneously hence giving unbelievable performance.
Of course this multi-universe processing power will be mostly used up running office 2015 which will probably do about the same thing as office 98 but that still leaves a lot left to run a higher evolved super intelligent AI that will cure the world of all its ills.
Before you cash in your retirement fund because in 2050 robots will be doing all the hard work and we will all be living on the moon in huge pleasure domes where every fantasy will be fulfilled and taking drugs that will make everyone young and beautiful forever remember:
a) They said we would all be doing that in the year 2000 in 1950
b) Last month the New Scientist was saying that either aliens had landed or it was raining bats blood – they weren’t quite sure which.
c) Any higher evolved super intelligent AI will have its own sinister agenda - like correcting your documents when you didn't ask it to.
Regardless the future is here... well around the corner.
Just when I think that all TV is nothing but shit something like A for Andromeda comes along and blows me away with such clever beauty and good old fashioned sci-fi-cold-war-paranoia-human-spirit-triumphs-ness that I can’t think of anything to say.
So I am not.
But I am in geek mode and today I read biggest tech story of all time – but it wasn’t in any news papers, it wasn’t on the TV - in fact hardly anyone noticed it. It was in the New Scientist – the voice of the scientific community.
Some nerd reckons he has worked out a way to build a quantum computer. He reckons it will take about 10 years to perfect. And as soon as anyone does anything you know there will be some handy Chinese to mass produce and sell it cheap.
Quantum computing would be the biggest revolution in computing since the silicone chip if not more so. They could hypothetically be a million or so more times faster than the quickest super computer today. They can get the results from programmes they haven’t actually run! How mind blowing is that.
Some people explain quantum mechanics in terms of multiple universes. Like Schrödinger’s Cat - there was one universe where the cat was alive and one where it was not. You only find out which one you are in when you open the box.
To continue the metaphor quantum computers run in multiple universes simultaneously hence giving unbelievable performance.
Of course this multi-universe processing power will be mostly used up running office 2015 which will probably do about the same thing as office 98 but that still leaves a lot left to run a higher evolved super intelligent AI that will cure the world of all its ills.
Before you cash in your retirement fund because in 2050 robots will be doing all the hard work and we will all be living on the moon in huge pleasure domes where every fantasy will be fulfilled and taking drugs that will make everyone young and beautiful forever remember:
a) They said we would all be doing that in the year 2000 in 1950
b) Last month the New Scientist was saying that either aliens had landed or it was raining bats blood – they weren’t quite sure which.
c) Any higher evolved super intelligent AI will have its own sinister agenda - like correcting your documents when you didn't ask it to.
Regardless the future is here... well around the corner.
posted by h at
12:10 am
7 Comments:
Yeah, you can bet that people won't even notice the huge societal revolution that the quantum computer will bring about. They'll just get all narky when the quantum computer's ultrawideband connection slows to 10 terabits per second. God! So slow! It took three nanoseconds to download the entire lifetime oeuvre of Mouse James Blunt! I haven't got time for this!
By
patroclus, at 8:05 am
It currently takes three nanoseconds to download the entire lifetime oeuvre of James Blunt, if you take the word oeuvre to imply any form of value whatsoever. No! It's faster than that! It takes no time at all.
By
GreatSheElephant, at 8:23 pm
So you're saying I can play Frank's Adventure 1, 2, & 3 at the same time?
But it will be "not safe for work" in any universe?
By
Zen Wizard, at 2:10 am
Oh dear, we had very different reactions to A For Andromeda!
By
Wyndham, at 9:49 am
pat, gse
We will be able to more than that - by 2020 we should be able to download James Blunt's entire personality into Mr Clippy in a nanosecond - where he will start to compose and sing personalised whiney ballards about how he is about to fuck up your word documents until you find option to turn the fucker off.
"You're beautiful - but using fragmented sentences - dodido"
Zen - yes, yes you will. But no, not in any universe :o)
Wyndham - I guess I loved the book so much and as it did an admirable attempt and reproducing its cleverness I was prepared to forgive its naffness. If you remember it was set in the 50s and fill in the blanks yourself it was highly enjoyable. Plus I haven't seen any even vaguely good sci-fi or TV for so long I am bit desperate.
By
h, at 12:47 am
I want to make a gramatically correct comment without any content whatsoever.
I shall leave lots of space between short paragraphs.
1. And make a list
2. Without any hierarchy
3. Or substance
10. Or entries numbered 4 to 9.
The comment will be a post modern ironic re-make of a blog entry.
But, er, what do I know?
By
bloggin the Question, at 1:05 pm
Helga, you are now complete. There is nothing else left to know.
By
h, at 3:29 pm
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