Lecture offers look into the future of computers

NEW PALTZ — The future of computer science is coming to SUNY New Paltz. On Feb. 6, the School of Science and Engineering presents a lecture on quantum computing by Dr. David DiVincenzo, of the IBM Watson Research Center, as part of their 2002-03 colloquium series.

An accomplished leader in the effort to realize quantum computation, Dr. DiVincenzo will introduce this topic and discuss its possible implications at his 5 p.m. lecture in the Coykendall Science Building on the New Paltz campus.

“The original design of a computer was discovered by Alan Turing in 1937, and all computers built to date have been more or less elaborate implementations of that original design,” said David Clark, Associate Dean of Science and Engineering. “That design is governed by the principles of classical physics, and until recently it was thought that it was the only possible model.”

“If we can instead utilize the theory of quantum physics, which is fundamentally different from classical physics,” said Clark, “we could theoretically build a powerful computer that would far exceed the abilities of those we use today.”

This lecture will be preceded by a reception at 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend at no charge.

The School of Science and Engineering was established in 2001 to bring a mathematics and science focus to the SUNY New Paltz campus. For more information or directions, contact David Clark at (845) 257-3728, or visit the School of Science and Engineering on the Web at www.newpaltz.edu/sse.