An Early Look at the Carbon Nanotube Computer Your Kids Will Use

The world of computing was treated to a rare breakthrough in nanotechnology on Wednesday. Researchers from Stanford University announced the creation of the first-ever working carbon nanotube computer.

The findings were published in this week’s edition of the scientific journal Nature. Led by professors Subhasish Mitra and H.S. Philip Wong, researchers behind the project call it "CEDRIC," a loosely derived acronym that stands for carbon nanotube digital integrated circuit.

For the uninitiated, this new development signals a shift from silicon transistor computing, a technology that will soon reach its limit since transistors can only get so small before quantum effects stop them from shrinking any further. Carbon nanotube transistors, however, are now a more realistic solution for future generations of computers because they conduct electricity better than silicon, and can scale smaller. Read more...