Has von Neumann Computing reached its Limit?
Thursday, 13. October 2016 | 14:45 Uhr
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Dr. Matthias Kaiserswerth, Managing Director of the Hasler Foundation in his presentation explained the problem with today’s data volumes: currently, 2.5 quintillion data bites are created every day. Ninety percent of all data sets were produced in the last two years alone.
This volume brings the existing architecture, which originated in 1945, to its limits. Furthermore, conventional computers require approximately 98 percent of the energy for cooling. For this reason, companies and universities have been researching alternatives for some 15 years. Among current development projects are cognitive computer systems like the quantum computer whereby IBM made history with ‘Watson’ in 2011. Research is also being conducted on neuronal networks, which function like our brain.
Thereafter, Matthias Kaiserswerth discussed both systems and showed how they had learned from nature. He presented state of the art computer technology and pointed to the current possibilities and limitations in science and industry. If you want to find out more about future computer systems, click on the video.
Matthias Kaiserswerth
He studied informatics at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, and at McGill University in Montreal and also obtained his doctorate in engineering from Friedrich-Alexander University.
Starting in 1988, he worked for IBM for 27 years. Other than a three-and-one-half-year interruption during which he served as key account manager on the commercial side of IBM, managing the global relationship with a large international industrial client, he spent his entire career at IBM Research.
After 12 years as a researcher in high-performance communication, security, and embedded systems in Switzerland and in the U.S., he was promoted to Director of IBM Research-Zurich, a position he held for more than 11 years in total.
In May 2015 Matthias Kaiserswerth became Managing Director of the Hasler Stiftung in Bern. The non-profit foundation supports education, research, and innovation in information and communication technologies to benefit Switzerland as a center of vision and action.
Dr. Kaiserswerth is President of the Economic Development Association Zimmerberg-Sihltal, member of the Board of Governors of Zurich University’s Applied Sciences, member of the Board of the Federal Institute for Metrology METAS, and Vice President of the Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI).
