Episodes
How is it possible to build a machine as complex as the microprocessor with a billion tiny components packed into a space the size of a postage stamp?
Every day we interact with dozens if not hundreds of computers, often without even realising it. This lecture reveals the state-of-the-art in computer interaction.
What is software, and how is it stored inside the computer? Why are some problems just too hard for any computer to solve, and how can we turn this to our advantage?
How does information make its way across the internet, through hundreds of computers to the right destination? How does a search engine find the web page you want amongst billions of possibilities in a fraction of a second?
Computers are extraordinary machines, able to perform feats of arithmetic that far exceed the capabilities of any human. So why is a 3 year old toddler better at recognising everyday objects than the world's most powerful supercomputer?
Episode 2 - Chips With Everything
More computers are manufactured every year than the world's total population. But fewer than 1% of these take the form of desktop or laptop computers. As microchips get ever smaller and faster they are being built into a huge range of objects and devices all around us. Every day we interact with dozens if not hundreds of computers, often without even realising it. But very few of these have mice and keyboards, and as computers become ever more widespread we will need new ways to communicate with them. In this lecture Chris Bishop will reveal the state-of-the-art in computer interaction, and will demonstrate new touch-screen technologies, three-dimensional displays, even flexible screens that can be rolled up when they're not being used. But it's not just displays that are being revolutionised. As the number of computers around us grows, they will increasingly be networked with each other and with the internet, opening up many new opportunities to exploit the power of computers.