Bee honey could be the unlikely key to unlocking the next era of computing

Date:
Thu, 07 Apr 2022 23:00:13 +0000

Description:
Neoromorphic computing is one step closer to becoming reality with the creation of a memristor made from honey.

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Neuromorphic computing that mimics the human brain is one step closer to reality as researchers from Washington State University have built a crucial circuit for this new type of computing using an unlikely pure substance.

Using bee-sourced honey, the researchers have built a proof-of-concept memory resistor or memristor. To accomplish this feat, they first turned the honey into a solid form and then held it between two metal electrodes in a similar way to how the brains synapses lay between pairs of neurons.

Following its creation, Washington State University researchers tested the devices ability to quickly switch on and off at speeds ranging between 100
and 500 nanoseconds. The tests were successful and the researchers hope that their new memristor can help pave the way for biodegradable, sustainable and organic-based computing systems going forward.

In a press release announcing the discovery, associate professor of WSUs School of Engineering and Computer Science, Feng Zhao provided further
insight on honeys potential in the creation of brain-like computer chips, saying:

This is a very small device with a simple structure, but it has very similar functionalities to a human neuron. This means if we can integrate millions or billions of these honey memristors together, then they can be made into a neuromorphic system that functions much like a human brain. Neuromorphic computing

Conventional computer systems like those found in business computers and mobile workstations are based on the von Neumann architecture which involves an input such as a keyboard and mouse as well as an output like a monitor along with a CPU and RAM.

Link:The start of this link looks broken.echanisms from input to processing
to memory to output takes a lot more power when compared to the human brain. For instance Fujitsus Fugaku supercomputer uses 28 million watts in order to run while the human brain uses only around 10 to 20 watts. This is why companies like Intel and IBM are working on neuromorphic chips that mimic how the human brain functions. Read more

The next world-beating supercomputer may run on chips that mimic the human

brain

Brain-like computers could become reality sooner than you think

This powerful supercomputer can now run on light instead of electric

current

The human brain has over 100bn neurons with more than 1,000tn synapses or connections among them. As each neuron can both process and store data, the brain is much more efficient than a traditional computer.

At the same time, conventional computer chips are built using nonrenewable
and toxic materials while neuromorphic chips, like the one created by researchers at Washington State University, can be made using biodegradable materials instead.

Going forward, Zhaos team aims to shrink the size of its honey memristors
from a microscale that is about the size of a human hair to a nanoscale which is about 1/1000 of a human hair. By doing so, the researchers will be able to bundle millions or even billions of honey memristors together to make a full neuromorphic computing system. Tackle even the most demanding tasks with one of the best workstations



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/bee-honey-could-be-the-unlikely-key-to-unlockin g-the-next-era-of-computing/


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