THE POTOMAC INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES PRESENTS

The Future of Computing

Thursday, October 31, 2019

“On Thursday, October 31st, CReST hosted a thought-provoking panel on the “Future of Computing”, discussing promising new computing concepts and sparking dialogue about what the future of computing might look like and where it could lead us. The keynote speaker was Dr. R. Stan Williams, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, holder of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chair, and Director of the Center for Computer Architecture Research at Texas A&M. His keynote talk focused on “Computing with Brain-Inspired Dynamics”. Three panelists, Dr. Todd Hylton (Executive Director of the Contextual Robotics Institute and Professor of Practice, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC San Diego), Dr. Paul Franzon (Cirrus Logic Distinguished Professor and the Director of Graduate Programs, Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University), and Dr. Bruce MacLennan (Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville) joined Dr. Williams on the panel. The panelists spoke on various ideas including computing with thermodynamics, areas of unconventional computing, and specialized 3D stacked memory. The event was moderated by Dr. Michael Fritze, Vice President, Potomac Institute, who facilitated an engaging discussion. Questions for discussion included: What will the computers of the future be like? What are the potential gains or benefits of new computing approaches? What roadblocks or challenges are holding us back from reaching this future?”