|
|
How to Learn About Technology
by Bernadette Uzzi, Brookhaven National Laboratory
You've just replaced your desktop because the hard drive crashed. Ever wonder what's inside?
The best way to learn about a piece of technology is to take it apart. There are many good sources
on the web to help you identify the parts. Here's a site to get you started:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk.htm.
Hard drives use magnetic storage domains to write and read information. These domains create the
language of computers - binary code, a series of zeros and ones. Having a language based on only two
characters can limit the speed of the conversation. What if a third character was added to computer language?
At Brookhaven National Laboratory, scientists in the Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science Department
are investigating just that. At the nanoscale, one billionth of a meter, physicists are studying the movement,
or spin, of electrons. Brookhaven scientists have successfully measured an aspect of the spin which could
eventually lead to faster processing speeds and larger hard drives. Read more here:
http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11448.
The technology that we all take for granted is extremely intricate. Long Island needs a workforce capable of
understanding the complexities of computers. Students contemplating a career in computer science should consider
a degree in physics. One day you may find yourself using an electron microscope to study spintronics and magnetism
at the nanoscale.
|
|
|
|
|
October 2012
Want to participate?
Companies can:
- Speak at a school
- Provide a student tour
- Provide a job shadow
- Sponsor an intern
- Sponsor a program
Schools can:
- Request a speaker
- Request a company tour
- Request a job shadow
- Request an internship
Contact us!
|
|
|
