CONCLUDING REMARKS AT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW COMPUTING ERA - Bio-Inspired and Nanoscale Integrated Computing - page 535

20
CONCLUDING REMARKS AT
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW
COMPUTING ERA
Varun Bhojwani, Stephen Chu, Mary Mehrnoosh
Eshaghian-Wilner, Shawn Singh, and Chun Wing Yip
This chapter briefly summarizes the topics that were discussed in each chapter. In
addition to the work of the scientists presented in this topic, several other
interesting projects in nanocomputing currently are taking place globally and
are not included in this volume. Table 20.1 lists the names of some of those
excluded groups. Additionally, Table 20.2 lists some of the public agencies and
private companies currently offering funding for nanocomputing. Nanocomput-
ing as a new area of research will involve many inventions that would need
to be patented. As such, a brief discussion of patent issues is included. Finally,
the chapter ends with with a discussion of social and economic impacts of
nanocomputing.
20.1. MATERIALS PRESENTED IN THIS TOPIC
Chapter 1 briefly discussed the beginning of the nanocomputing era, brought
about by the fact that integrated circuits have been constantly decreasing in size
for 50 years. Computing was defined as the representation and manipulation of
abstract information; some historical context of the microcomputing era was also
discussed. The limitations of traditional microcomputers motivates a vast amount
of research effort to develop new nanoscale devices and paradigms, including
molecular devices, quantum dots, tunneling devices, spin devices, cellular logic,
wave computing, DNA computing, quantum computing, and more. Two major
fields that greatly benefit from nanocomputing are biology and neurology.