At present, the most important part of a computer is its processor. The chip installed in a processor is made up of Silicon. This element has been a vital ingredient for the computer industry since long. However, this is going to change.

It may appear to be a strange idea, yet there is a lot of discussion going on regarding the building of logic circuits by utilizing alternative materials like gallium arsenide or even water. Hence, the future computer won’t resemble those, which we are using today.

These will be the supercomputers, which will be capable of processing a large amount of data and handle heaviest workloads. Discussed below are the innovative and revolutionary ideas that are floating within the computing industry.

Reliance on DNA-Based Data Storage

Researchers are trying to switch over the traditional computing technology and rely on an unconventional data storage mechanism. The basic idea behind the DNA-based data storage is the ability of a DNA molecule to store a large amount of data.

When engineered in a proper manner, the DNA molecules can store a great amount of data. The research has shown that just a single gram of synthetic DNA is capable of holding almost 215 petabytes of data.

However, there are some noticeable issues with the use of DNA for the purpose of storing data. The first issue relates to the limited shelf life of a DNA molecule. With the passage of time, the DNA molecule tends to break down. In order to preserve the DNA molecules, researchers use the process of Cryogenics.

However, this process also has its limits. When stored at -20 degrees Celsius, it is possible to preserve the DNA molecule for several months. By reducing the temperature to -80 degrees Celsius, it is possible to further enhance the life of a DNA molecule for a couple of years.

The other issue associated with the use of DNA for data storage relates to the fact that it is a tedious and slow process. Through some extensive research, Microsoft has been successful in accessing the data by manipulating the use of primers. Even this process is unable to remove the hurdles while randomly accessing the data stored in a DNA.

Quantum Computing is the New Era of Computer Technology

Microsoft is the biggest player in the computer industry. During an Ignite conference last year, Microsoft revealed the prototype of quantum computer. It is a nontraditional computer, which doesn’t use silicon as a conductor. Its working pattern is altogether different from conventional computers.

The quantum computer is a couple of years away from its production. Even after its launch, it won’t be available for the individuals, as its price tag would be way higher than the reach of a common person. Indeed, it would be possible for a few organizations to buy this expensive computer.

As stated earlier, Quantum computers are different from traditional computers, they don’t use transistor-based microprocessors. Moreover, quantum computers don’t rely on binary code. On the contrary, a quantum computer will perform computing tasks by altering the state of subatomic particles. This particle state is then used to reflect the data value.