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US Intel Agencies To Build Superconducting Computer

Posted by timothy on from the reading-minds-takes-a-lot-of-technology dept.

dcblogs writes "The Director of National Intelligence is soliciting help to develop a superconducting computer. The goal of the government's solicitation is 'to demonstrate a small-scale computer based on superconducting logic and cryogenic memory that is energy efficient, scalable, and able to solve interesting problems.' The NSA, in particular, has had a long interest in superconducting technology, but 'significant technical obstacles prevented exploration of superconducting computing,' the government said in its solicitation. Those innovations include cryogenic memory designs that allow operation of memory and logic in close proximity within the cold environment, as well as much faster switching speeds. U.S. intelligence agencies don't disclose the size of their systems, but the NSA is building a data center in Utah with a 65 MW power supply."

8 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. Red Riding Hood Beware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Why Big Brother, what big eyes you have!"

    "All the better to see you with, my dear."

  2. US Intel Agencies Should Forfeit Their Toys by Thaelon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They violated the bill of rights with their toys. They should be taken away, and the children who did it punished.

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    Question everything

    1. Re:US Intel Agencies Should Forfeit Their Toys by Thaelon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The founding fathers intended that the freedoms assigned by the Bill of Rights not be superseded by technology, bureaucracy, plutarchy, or dictatorship.

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      Question everything

    2. Re:US Intel Agencies Should Forfeit Their Toys by icebike · · Score: 3, Informative

      The founding fathers never intended the bill of rights to apply to the internet.

      Actually, the founding fathers never intended the bill of rights PERIOD.

      So many ordinary citizens saw the dangers of authoritarian government that some colonies refused to ratify the Constitution until the Bill of Rights was added.

      The first Bill of Rights was proposed during the convention but was defeated by a unanimous vote of the state delegations after only a brief discussion. Madison, then an opponent of a Bill of Rights, later explained the vote by calling the state bills of rights "parchment barriers" that offered only an illusion of protection against tyranny. (More prophetic words were seldom spoken.) Madison only later became in favor of the BOR.

      It wasn't till 11 states had ratified the Constitution and the first congress met that the Bill of Rights was actually added, after a bitter and protracted debate. The first 12 amendments were submitted to the states for ratification in 1789 (only 10 passed). Only after this did the holdout colonies decide to become part of the United States.

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      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  3. what a joke by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Insightful

    it's amazing that we cant seem to fund a universal healthcare system that would help sick people but we magically have all the money in the world to spy on said sick people.

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:what a joke by interkin3tic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I've heard that countries with a more homogenous demographic spend more on social welfare programs, while citizens in countries with diversity are more stingy with what they want their taxes spent on. And of course the spy programs are supposed to defend us against non-european foreigners.

      It's us vs them in the minds of many voters. "You don't look like me, so you must be bad in some way. You're out to bomb me or you want a check from the government to spend on drugs. Either way, I want my tax dollars to protect me from you, not help you."

      To me, that's the most depressing thing about American politics, and the only way I can think it will change is to wait until most of the current citizens die out and hope subsequent generations are smarter than that.

    2. Re:what a joke by WindBourne · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Who said that they are not one and the same?
      We need ppl to be well so that they can fight, work, etc. WWI was stopped early due to the massive disease issues (esp. flu) and the inability of the nations to have sustained war. However, other wars have been started over resources and perceptions of being able to take on some other nation.
      Doing a minimal national health care such as O'care is not all that horrible, esp. since it actually is CHEAPER to us than what we had.
      Incidentally, that is also why top generals in the military back taking actions on AGW. They would rather not have to go to war in the future. Yet, it is so odd that so many neo-con types want to allow AGW to continue and do not care about future wars. I guess that is because so many of them have never been to war.

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      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  4. Re:Can superconductors compute? by MindStalker · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/design/superconductor-logic-goes-lowpower

    It appears that "logic" is done through wave form cancellation.

    You have a waveform, if you pass through the same point an inverse waveform you cancel out the waveforms and end up with a 0, or a matches wave form will amplify the signal giving you a 1. Though, no, I don't fully understand how this is used for computation, it doesn't appear that they know either.