Computer Science & Technology

Conventional DNA sequencing is getting more powerful and time-effective. However, it is still based on amplification, which involves using a DNA polymerase such as Taq to produce numerous copies of the sequence to be analysed. The problem with amplification is that it can increase the risk of false-positive results in terms of pertinent mutations.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that allow people with severe neuromotor or motor disorders to communicate are becoming more and more common. This is realised by scanning brainwaves using electroencephalography (EEG) and converting them accurately into words, letters or other objects that the user intends to replicate in their minds. BCIs are beneficial for those with extensive paralysis, ‘locked-in’ syndrome and other similar conditions.

Lithium-ion batteries are probably the most popular and common type of battery for portable devices such as smartphones and tablets. One major disadvantage though, is that their lifespan and performance has appeared to hit a ceiling as of late, which leaves many electronics companies facing complaints of reduced battery endurance.

The testing and analysis procedures involved in modern-day medical diagnostics is slowly moving away from what many may see as the archetypal ‘lab-based’ setting, thanks to advanced biotechnology and technology. Medical science is slowly becoming less dependent on using fiddly glass equipment and complicated protocols, and instead turning to state-of-the-art sample collectors, sensors and corresponding electronic machines that analyse the biological data they collect.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly powerful commercial tool. It is used more and more by financial services, the insurance industry and of course the information technology multinationals. There are also indications of its emerging role in healthcare, an economical concern worth over one trillion dollars today.

Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound is a straightforward and relatively cheap form of medical imaging. In skilled and experienced hands, it can be a powerful tool for visualising organs and what may be wrong with them. However, it is often regulated to use in emergency medical situations in hospital settings. Its other main use is to generate foetal imaging for obstetrics and related practices.

For twenty years, DESY (the German synchrotron administration) has been working on a bigger and better X-ray laser. Such an implementation would enhance the imaging and analysis of subjects from a wide range of scientific research topics, from viruses to exo-planets. The new laser, known as European XFEL, is based at the DESY research center in Hamburg, but extends nearly four kilometers along the ground until it reaches a campus in the Schleswig-Holstein town of Schenefeld.

Many of us already enjoy VR for gaming and recreational activities. However, Microsoft would also be happy if you expanded that use to interfacing with your computer desktop, connecting with colleagues far away in the same virtual space, and… yet more immersive gaming. They have partnered with Samsung to deliver a new generation of computing in hybrid real-life/virtual spaces. They call it Mixed Reality, and have premiered it in an event earlier this month.

Would you board a plane knowing that one of the flight crew wasn’t human? This may be a valid concern for those working in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) ALIAS program. ALIAS, in this case, stands for Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System – a robot designed to take part in the control of a plane along human pilots.

You may have heard of advanced Bayesian calculations (ABCs), perhaps in the context of how computers are used to study climate patterns and how these will change in the near future. ABC is the basis for how computers can achieve inference as a result of the data it is fed. Inference is an important part of the process by which predictions that our brains make on an everyday basis match up with the available objective evidence.

There is an emerging trend these days for new hardware materials, designs and standards that seek to defy Moore’s Law and the predicted slowdown in computing evolution and, eventually, the capabilities it represents. It’s a necessary move, particularly in the face of the extensive requirements involved in running some artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

Quantum computers are hailed as the new wave in the use and processing of big data. They are perceived as much more powerful in terms of decision-making, transfer speeds and complexity of computing tasks. However, there are also several drawbacks that affect the uptake of quantum as a processor standard. Firstly, as a relatively new modality in this sector, it is often more expensive than traditional CMOS-based computing.