Optical computers are a million times faster

Plus: World's first attempt to reach orbit with methane-fueled rocket fails. Dec 15, 2022 [Blueprint]( [A million times faster]( is a whole lot faster, I think we can agree. And that’s how much faster an optical computer is, compared to its conventional counterparts, according to a new study. Which is nothing short of amazing. The extremely fast processing uses circularly polarized light in place of an electrical signal, and that’s what makes it so very speedy. But before you take in the success of that, lament the (hopefully temporary) failure of this. [This video]( shows the world’s first attempt to reach orbit with methane-fueled rocket, which unfortunately failed. But it’s a start. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. [The unfair floods of Pakistan: ‘Climate carnage’ or botched engineering?]( [premium] Experts say this year's monsoon rains in Pakistan were the worst ever, flooding one-third of the South Asian country, ruining crops on millions of acres, and uprooting at least 33 million people from a population of 220 million. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [World's first attempt to reach orbit with methane-fueled rocket fails.]( [World's first attempt to reach orbit with methane-fueled rocket fails.]( Jiuquan, we have a problem. [Must Read]MUST READ [Optical computers run a million times faster than conventional computers, study reveals.]( [Optical computers run a million times faster than conventional computers, study reveals.]( The Internet of Things (IoT) and the enormous datasets it holds, have brought about a huge amount of development encouraging faster process times. In fact, the ever-increasing amounts of data from sensor sources (and the algorithms associated with collecting, evaluating and then making inferences from the data) need compute speeds many times what they are now. Which is what prompted a team of scientists at AALTO University in the U.S. to pursue just that. In response, they have [designed and developed a new optic chirality logic gates]( which are being run at about a million times faster than previous logic gates. This extremely fast processing is achieved using circularly polarized light instead of an electrical signal. It depends largely on the handedness of the circularly polarized beam, through a crystal material that is sensitive to the beam of light. → The handedness of a light beam is determined by the shape of the crystal it is passing through. It bends either to one side or the other, right-handed or left-handed. In optic chirality logic gates, the direction of the beam's handedness, right or left, determines the logic function. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Chinese companies claim they have built the world's biggest 16 MW wind turbine.]( In East China's Fujian Province, a [huge offshore wind turbine with the world's largest per-unit capacity]( has come off the assembly line. The 16-megawatt wind turbine boasts the world's longest impeller diameter of 827-foot (252 meters), the lightest per megawatt weight, and a 480-foot (146-meter) hub, which is equivalent to the height of a 50-story structure. Developers CTG and Goldwind believe the 16MW unit is the highest-rated generator ever built. Its enormous rotor diameter provides a 164,000-foot (50,000-meter) swept area that can generate enough electricity to power 36,000 households annually, they claim. 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It is thought that a depiction of a man holding his penis, flanked by leopards, dates back to approximately 11,000 years ago. Carvings found nearby on built-in benches in Sayburç, Şanlıurfa, are also thought to be Neolithic (or New Stone Age). The image of the man is approximately 2.5 to 3 feet (0.7 to 0.9 meters) tall and 12 feet (3.7 meters) long. He is holding what is thought to be a snake or a rattle in his other hand. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Optical computers run a million times faster than conventional computers. How long do you think it will be until we all have optical computers in our homes? 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