User:Ekinner/Computing

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a model that allows for the use of computing resources, such as servers or applications, without the need for much interaction between the owner of these resources and the user using them. Typically, this is offered as a service making it another example of Software as a Service, Platforms as a Service, and Infrastructure as a Service depending on what functionality is offered. Key characteristics include on-demand access, broad network access, and the capability of rapid scaling. Cloud computing is also being talked about regarding energy conservation. Allowing thousands of instances of computation to occur on one single machine instead of thousands of individual machines could be a way to save energy. It would also ease the act of transitioning to more renewable energy because you would only need to power one server farm with a set of solar panels or wind turbines instead of millions of peoples' homes. However, computing being done from a centralized location has its own challenges. One of the major ones is security. With cloud computing companies having no obligation to tell you what data they have on you, where it's being kept, or how they are using it. Laws in the modern day are not yet equipped to handle these circumstances. In the future, lawmakers in many countries will have to push to regulate cloud computing and protect the privacy of users. Cloud computing is also a way for individual users or small business to benefit from economies of scale. While currently the cloud computing infrastructure is too underdeveloped to benefit the scientific community, within a few years of development it could also be used to help smaller research groups get the computing power they need to answer a lot of the world's questions.

Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is an area of research that brings together the disciplines of computer science, information theory, and quantum physics. The idea of information being a basic part of physics is relatively new, but there seems to be a strong tie between information theory and quantum mechanics. Whereas traditional computing operates on a binary system of ones and zeros, quantum computing uses qubits. Qubits are capable of being in a superposition, which means that they are in both states, one and zero, simultaneously. This means the qubit is not somewhere between 1 and 0, but actually the value of the qubit will change depending on when you measure it. This trait of qubits is called quantum entanglement and is the core idea of quantum computing and is what allows quantum computers to do the large scale equations they are used for. Quantum computing is often used for scientific research where a normal computer does not have nearly enough computational power to do the calculations necessary. A good example would be molecular modeling. Large molecules are far too complex for modern computers to calculate what happens to them during a reaction, but the power of quantum computers could open the doors to further understanding these molecules.