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Innovation Future Specialist

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Amazing Innovations: Information and Communications Technology: 2016

The exponential progress of digital technologies and their expanding application means rapid progress across many areas. We continue to see faster processing and communication systems, larger data storage capacities, and smaller electronic components.

Supercomputers are now so fast that many people might not even know what is meant when we say it can do 93 peta calculations per second (93 PFLOPS). That is 93 million billion floating point calculations in one second!!

Here are some of the amazing innovations that took place in 2016, or did they? See how many you get right in this true or false quiz...

Very fast language translation

Microsoft demonstrated how adding four FPGA boards to a high-end 24-CPU core configuration can, in 2.5 seconds, translate the 1,400-page "War and Peace" from Russian to English.

True? False?

It is true, and another demonstration translated billions of words in about the time it takes to blink your eye!

Yes, and another demonstration translated billions of words in about the time it takes to blink your eye!

Quantum computers

Several advances have taken place in the laboratory to increase the possibilities for implementing quantum computers. For example: a material that can hold quantum qubit information at room temperatures.

True? False?

Room temperature quantum technologies would create a big breakthrough in quantum computing, and this is a start.

Room temperature quantum technologies would create a big breakthrough in quantum computing, and this is a start.

Very fast parallel computing

Alternatively, some have proposed that parallel super-computing using FPGAs might be as fast as quantum computers and lead to computers that are 10,000 times faster!

True? False?

The claim is true; although chip for chip, quantum computers might still be faster than this approach.

The claim is true; although chip for chip, quantum computers might still be faster than this approach.

Quantum encryption

Quantum encrypted communication systems keep growing and now include a Chinese satellite.

True? False?

Quantum encryption is now in use, including a Chinese satellite!

Yes.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality sensations have been improved to simulate the taste and texture of food.

True? False?

It is true, and there is more to come! See Virtual Reality (opens in a new window).

Yes and there is more to come! See Virtual Reality (opens in a new window).

Internet of things

A hot topic this year was the emergence of the Internet of Things which could see many devices and sensors connected to the Internet - trillions!

True? False?

Ultimately small millimetre, or smaller, sensors could be dropped all over the place. The potential benefits are enormous but let us hope that this "smart dust" does not become dumb pollution.

Ultimately small millimetre, or smaller, sensors could be dropped all over the place. The potential benefits are enormous but let us hope that this "smart dust" does not become dumb pollution.

Largest data source

It was announced that the largest source of data generation will come from the analysis of the human genome [and proteins too].

True? False?

There are billions of letters (bases) in the DNA of each person, and in the future everyone might have their genome a analysed.

There are billions of letters (bases) in the DNA of each person, and in the future everyone might have their genome a analysed.

Smallest hard disk drive

Scientists created an atom-sized hard disk that could reduce data to its smallest possible limit.

True? False?

It is true, but just a laboratory demonstration.

It is true, but just a laboratory demonstration.

Perfect computer demonstrated

A perfect computer has been demonstrated: it never needs software updates because it has no bugs and its internal AI can learn new features; it switches on instantly (and always will); it cannot be infected by viruses because the software cannot be updated; and it all fits on one chip.

True? False?

Person laughing Unfortunately, no such progress seems to exist. Anyone care to get started on this...?

Person laughing Unfortunately, no such progress seems to exist. Anyone care to get started on this...?

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