commit 459cd449a98564ad4b73ff33db6078fca6825b10
parent 989529407253a87528c9643f964e8dba52da3271
Author: Ville-Matias Heikkila <viznut@low.fi>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2022 14:13:13 +0300
add page
Diffstat:
2 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
diff --git a/concepts.mdwn b/concepts.mdwn
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ More theoretical or generic
* [[scalability]]
* [[sustainability]]
* [[technological diversity]]
+ * [[unconventional computing]]
* [[yin and yang]]
Phenomena of mainstream computing world
diff --git a/unconventional_computing.mdwn b/unconventional_computing.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+**Unconventional computing**, also known as **alternative computing**,
+refers to computing with an unusual methods. An unusual method may be e.g.
+an unusual theoretical model or an unusual physical basis. The term
+"unconventional computing" was coined in 1998.
+
+Permacomputing is interested in expanding the lowest layers of the
+technological possibility space, especially in order to develop computer
+technology that better integrates with natural processes. This, along with
+the strive for a greater [[technological diversity]], makes unconventional
+computing techniques interesting from the permacomputing point of view.
+
+**Fluidics**, using liquids or gases in place of electricity, is probably
+the most mature alternative technological basis for computing. A fully
+working fluidic digital computer, Flodac, was already built in 1964. Its
+performance class was similar to relay computers (tens of cycles per
+second), but it was mentioned in the paper that clock speeds up to 250 Hz
+could be reached with similar but more compact circuitry.
+
+Flodac-like logic gates are based on how fluids move within static
+structures. So, unlike mechanical and relay computers, Flodac had no moving
+parts. These structures could probably be printed with rather rudimantary
+etching techniques or 3D printing, unlike semiconductor manufacturing that
+requires extreme purity of the material and the etching process.
+
+Many unconventional computing technologies such as DNA computing are still
+at a very early stage of development (as in "the addition of two small
+numbers was succesfully demonstrated"). And even those who aren't are often
+unsuitable for conventional digital computers.
+
+Some unconventional computing techniques use living organisms. The use of
+Physarum slime molds has been studied for a long time, and they can e.g.
+solve shortest-path problems.
+
+Quantum computing is probably the most hyped type of unconventional
+computing because of their ability to do an operation "in millions of
+parallel universes at a time".
+
+Today, integrated circuits are so dominant that even historically important
+component technologies can be considered "unconventional". These include
+fully mechanical parts (like those in mechanical calculators or the Zuse
+Z1), relays (Z3), electron tubes (most 1950s computers), discrete
+transistors (most early-to-mid-1960s computers), parametrons (some Japanese
+computers mostly from the 1950s) and Symmag (the French computer CAB500 from
+1957).
+
+See also:
+
+ * [FLODAC - A pure fluid digital computer (Gluskin&al, 1964, PDF)](https://www.gwern.net/docs/cs/computable/1964-gluskin.pdf)
