Self Assessment

What a strange and fulfilling experience this has been, unfortunately, due to the dire situation and its expectancy, working in a group setting did not seem like the most efficient path. Although, if conditions were otherwise, working in a team would’ve been a very pleasurable and communication filled task. Even though there was some team effort with peers, involved in the overall processes. Since the work would now be a solo task, I realized the topic would need to be something I am aware of and well balanced in, completely getting rid of the need of agreeing on a topic with team members; which was actually pretty helpful for my schedule. Due to the nature of the project and the routes that could be taken, either a PSA, or engaging with Science Fiction, my topic seemed to involve aspects of both worlds. As developing computational technologies are exaggerated in Hollywood and in other areas, their science fiction values are greatly enhanced. Though they always seem to bring us back to the idea of awareness and cautiousness we must have around such technologies, making the Science fiction of hacking and quantum computers a great topic for both engaging with fiction and an announcement in the public interest.  

Since this was a multimodal presentation, which relied on various library resources, and online databases, and required self-assessment of itself. The final project was a task that required an amalgamation of skills and pieces of knowledge, that which has been accumulated throughout the semester. 

Thanks to the variety of modes of presentation and “disciplinary contexts”, acknowledging the range of linguistics and other knowledge was a large factor in assessing my work, especially with topics related to technology and science. Audience awareness and specific articulations of arguments most definitely sharpened and strengthened the use of diction, and resources. 

Again, in regards to the social aspect of writing. Even though the work was single-handed. There were multiple instances of collaboration on research, citation, format, style, and even website creation. Therefore, peer reviews and other aid assisted as a form of collaboration. All of which was necessary to thoroughly and correctly develop our work. 

Doing this project really allowed me to do research with a bit more sense in mind. Rather than looking for research journals on quantum decohrance dilation and explaining that to an unexpecting crowd, I really had to take my audience in mind. Finding the work and arguments at a standard linguistic fashion was not difficult at all, obviously, it felt more human, especially the multimedia presentation. Its the fact that writing for the sciences isn’t about only research papers and statistics and facts, it’s about engaging with sciences through any media, utterance, and audience. 

Moreover, on the multimedia presentation, its novelty gave a great scope of creativity, I am assuming, for a lot of people alongside those websites. Composing a presentation with enough information and statistics, but could still keep you engaged was a difficult one. Even as exciting and fun as it was to record the voice over, and to fully expand on every point, was a pain in the ass. There are currently 27 different attempts at the voice-over, great fun, engaging work, though quite a time-consuming task.  Although the most challenging and painful thing was realizing there was a word limit on the literature review, leading me to delete about 3 pages of work, a grandiose mistake. All in all, a great final to the semester, would’ve been a lot better if I were creative; I definitely had a chance to express my self, see my growth and expand on all my downfalls. 

Foundations (Video)

Gotta love the future.

“Disruptive technologies are fundamentally expanding the ‘Art of the Possible’; reshaping the solution provider ecosystem with a new hierarchy of winners and losers and discombobulating expectations of how and by whom risk and security should be managed and led.”  — Thornton May, IT Futurist, at SecureWorld Charlotte

Multi-Touch Systems that I Have Known and Loved
Describes a workable mechanism for developing a touch screen.  What is interesting is that the touch screen used capacitive sensing – as do most consumer devices today.  Photo from Johnson (1967).


Security, why does it matter?
1: SEM cross-section of AMD Opteron TM and AMD Athlon TM 64 ...
 SEM cross-section of AMD Opteron TM and AMD Athlon TM 64 microprocessors, showing the 9-metal interconnects hierarchy (IEDM 2003, Nanofair 2003)

Cybersecurity continues to be an increasingly hot topic – and it’s no surprise why. We are all more connected than ever before, and although that is a great thing, it is not without risks. Information leaks, security breaches, hacks, data theft, and other cyber attacks are becoming more common. Stay aware, stay updated, stay safe.

Quantum Technology?

Photons? What’s That?

As many know, the computer, or phone, or piece of technology that most are using at the moment, evaluates information through binary patterns and codes. Ones and zeros, over and over, representing every single piece of information at your disposal. We call these bits, “A bit (short for “binary digit”) is the smallest unit of measurement used to quantify computer data. It contains a single binary value of 0 or 1,” (Christensson, P. 2013, April 20). Although binary isn’t everything, without a language to program the binary sets, in other words, a programming language, allowing users to calculate mathematical expressions, algorithms, and simulations through a plethora of languages (ex. Python, C++, Java, HTML, Ruby, etc), all used for different purposes such as website creation, server management, business calculation, physics simulations, renderings, and other field applications. 

IBM's new 53-qubit quantum computer is its biggest yet - CNET

Qu-Bits

With the introduction of qubits, from the quantum research scientific community, our current limit of 64Bit limit has been doubled. 

64Bit referring to an exponential function of bits, 2 to the 64, not entirely 64 bits. Essentially, 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 actual bits of information. Which is a lot, and can process ridiculous loads of information, as we can see from the most advanced modern-day classical computers. This would mean that quantum computers can theoretically double the effective bits of a system, with the use of the novel qubit, “…If large quantum computers can be built, they should vastly outperform ordinary computers at specific tasks,” (Quantum spies. New Scientist, 02624079, 1/11/2014).

BUT HOW!

By ultra cooling atoms of sodium and potassium, to temperatures near absolute zero, “absolute zero is defined as precisely; 0 K on the Kelvin scale, which is a thermodynamic (absolute) temperature scale; and –273.15 degrees Celsius on the Celsius scale.” These atoms reach a specific state called Super Fluidity, where the electrons, neutrons, and protons break apart into elemental pieces, creating a soup of electron flow.  By keeping a close eye on the states of these electrons, scientists can calculate their polar spin, a very abstract and elusive state of electrons, positrons, and neutrinos, and extremely difficult to explain. By sending electrical signals to stimulate the system, the computer calculates the resulting spins, either up or down, a one or a zero. Nothing impressive there. What is astonishing is the effect of quantum superposition. A state of superposition defines the state of the electron as an undefined spin, in space, but not time. By using this to their advantage, researchers have created a source of information capable of reacting as both a one and a zero. This quantum state allows calculations to be branched out into larger algorithmic trees, by increasing the threshold of information processed by the system. Allowing a bit to be two separate values at once clearly shows the doubling effect of the capacity of information. As scholar Castelluccio clearly puts it “In a quantum Turing machine, the difference is that the tape exists in a quantum state, as does the read-write head. This means that the symbols on the tape can be either 0 or 1 or a superposition of 0 and 1; in other words, the symbols are both 0 and 1 (and all points in between) at the same time. While a normal Turing machine can only perform one calculation at a time, a quantum Turing machine can perform many calculations at once.” Additionally, with developments in controlled entanglement, bits that are not anywhere near each other will be able to communicate effectively and instantaneously, decreasing the margin of error and minimizing variable results. 

Quantum computing's future is almost semi-here—are we ready for it ...

Q-nclusion

Great. This technology is amazing and will make everything better and faster. Yes and No, positives usually come with their negatives, and that is definitely the case with these forms of technologies. Well, if you’re an average consumer, you won’t get anywhere near a quantum computer for at least another 10 years. The current state of the highest levels of such technology are highly classified, or in development at companies such as Google, IBM, and Microsoft, and are beginning to calculate large scale mathematical problems and operations. 

Abstract

Since 1959, with the creation of the microchip, and 1983 with the development of the internet, or what they called, the interwebs, our societies have quickly expanded into competitive, technological ones. With upcoming companies such as Microsoft and IBM, at the time, the personal computer and advanced microprocessors came into developing fruition.

Though as technology improves and personal begins to really mean personal, security became a major aspect for software and hardware companies. The average user would take these technologies for granted, considered miracles of the late 20th century, but as these concerns grew, the enthusiast and consumer awareness approach developed. By informing people of current technological states, its beauties, and its flaws, greatly enhances audience knowledge and incites critical thinking on technological relationships.

As the paper enforces, the basic 64bit encryption rate (The code of binary that camouflages your personal information through the internet) has its flaws, just like any program or code, though it uses third party programs and supplementary software to improve its security and efficiency). Even so, with such fidelity in security, we always hear of data breaches, and other malicious software, such as viruses, trojan or malware attacks, worldwide. So, how is it that with such security, we’re so insecure. Well, like Hollywood, and other, unreputable sources had led us to believe, large scale hacking, and deep personal information doxxing (The act of stealing someone’s personal information), happens by some seventeen years old with a laptop, a Wifi connection and a few minutes. In reality, these events are lead by large groups of programmers and coders, working with a time frame of about 3-6 months to accomplish an attack of such scales.

With the development of quantum technology, and quantic processing, Hollywood scenes like that scene on “Swordfish,” where Hugh Jackman hacks a 128-Bit US Defense network, in under 60 seconds, might actually be possible. Even if it currently isn’t. As Quantum technology develops, it currently surpasses any form of classical computing methods.  Currently, the efficiency of our current encryption rates (Our online safety networks) is completely obliterated by advanced modern quantum computers, leading hackers, corporations, and our government into a constant state of technological competition.

There’s a chance you’ve been told not to reuse our passwords, or to make them too simple, and now, there might be even more of a reason to take that advice.