| From: | Stephen Delear <steved@***.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Real-Life Computing ...(OT, obviously) |
| Date: | Thu, 28 May 1998 02:28:18 -0500 |
>Thus spake Tim Kerby:
>>
>> On 27 May 98, at 10:58, Paul Gettle wrote:
>>
>> > >This changes with optical technology. Light travels much faster than
>> > >electricity.
>> >
>> > HUH? I was under the impression that electricity moved at near the
>> > speed of light too. I'll grant that it's a tad slower than the 'speed of
>> > light in a vacuum' but light traveling through fiber optics is also
slower
>> > than 'speed of light in a vacuum'. (IIRC, electomagnetics traveling
>> > through any medium are impeded ever so slightly, which is why they
have to
>> > quote the speed 'in a vacuum')
>>
>> Yes, you are right. The advantages to light over
>> electricity are integrity, and interference, not speed.
>> Light is not susceptible to EMF or RFI interference, so
>> is a more robust transfer medium. Plus, it maintains
>> signal integrity over a much greater distance.
>
> I wouldn't say that light isn't susceptible to outside interference with
>much confidence right now. It hasn't been used as densely as electrical
>transmission lines to find out what kind of gremlins show up in these
>kinds of situations. When you start pumping that much light through
>gates in dense configurations, who knows what new quantum principle
>might be uncovered.
God I can just see it know you're sitting at home writting E-Mail, windows
crashes and your computer takes off towards antares at superluminal velocity.
SteveD
>
> However, I do agree with you as to the higher scalability of light over
>electricity. I think that the amount of data, when described in the media
>as states (levels of intensity, similar to voltage), is potentially much
>higher when using photons rather than electrons.
>
>--
> | Even Einstein objected to the idea of
> Mike Loseke | wave-function collapse, calling it
> mike@*******.com | "spooky action-at-a-distance."
>
Stephen Delear
Freelance Photographer
Austin TX
Phone 512-388-0166
