Does Consciousness Defeat Materialism?
There is a re-emerging interest in consciousness and the mindRadin goes on to show an affinity for panpsychism, the idea that the entire universe is endowed with a certain level of consciousness.
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Appropriate Technology: The Haitian Energy Problem
Not all countries need the latest technologies. Those in developing countries don’t need high powered computers or the latest car from Tesla. They have more fundamental concerns like how do I feed my family tomorrow? Where do I get clean water? And where can I get power and energy? This effort of supplying needed technology is referred to as appropriate Read More ›
The Startling Energy Costs of Bitcoin
As Bitcoin gains credibility, power consumption worries growMost people are aware of the rising price of Bitcoin. Despite the fact that most people are unaware of how to transact in it, and few merchants take it as a form of currency, Bitcoin is becoming an increasingly popular investment. As interest in Bitcoin grows, a few people are starting to take notice of the startling energy costs associated with Bitcoin transactions. As Mind Matters has been pointing out for years, the energy costs associated with having a “trustless” system such as Bitcoin is immense, with Bitcoin transactions generally costing 400,000 times as much energy as a single transaction on the Visa network. According to the BBC, the Bitcoin network – which, again, very few people are regularly transacting in – now consumes more energy than the Read More ›
Could Slowing Quantum Processes Lead To More Useful Computing?
“Adiabatic” quantum computing slows down the process, in the hope of achieving more reliable quantum positionsIn a recent podcast, “Enrique Blair on quantum computing,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks talks with fellow computer engineer Enrique Blair about why quantum mechanics is so strange but important to our future. They discussed the prospects of slowing down quantum computing to make it more useful (adiabatic computing). https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-110-Enrique-Blair.mp3 The discussion of quantum communication begins at approximately 58:47. The Show Notes and transcript follow. Enrique Blair (pictured): I guess the challenge with entangling massive numbers of quantum systems is that entanglement becomes much more fragile. In quantum communication, you just need pairs of photons to be entangled. One with another, that’s it. Whereas with quantum computing, you need many, many systems to be entangled, and that’s just Read More ›