This article is about computation using molecular and chemical systems. For computation using single molecules as active elements, see Molecular scale electronics and Molecular logic gate.
A chemical computer, also called a reaction-diffusion computer, Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) computer, or gooware computer, is an unconventional computer based on a semi-solid chemical "soup" where data are represented by varying concentrations of chemicals.[1] The computations are performed by naturally occurring chemical reactions.
Originally chemical reactions were seen as a simple move towards a stable equilibrium which was not very promising for computation. This was changed by a discovery made by Boris Belousov, a Soviet scientist, in the 1950s. He created a chemical reaction between different salts and acids that swing back and forth between being yellow and clear because the concentration of the different components changes up and down in a cyclic way. At the time this was considered impossible because it seemed to go against the second law of thermodynamics, which says that in a closed system the entropy will only increase over time, causing the components in the mixture to distribute themselves until equilibrium is gained and making any changes in the concentration impossible. But modern theoretical analyses shows sufficiently complicated reactions can indeed comprise wave phenomena without breaking the laws of nature.[1][2] (A convincing directly visible demonstration was achieved by Anatol Zhabotinsky with the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction showing spiraling colored waves.)
The wave properties of the BZ reaction means it can move information in the same way as all other waves. This still leaves the need for computation, performed by conventional microchips using the binary code transmitting and changing ones and zeros through a complicated system of logic gates. To perform any conceivable computation it is sufficient to have NAND gates. (A NAND gate has two bits input. Its output is 0 if both bits are 1, otherwise it's 1). In the chemical computer version logic gates are implemented by concentration waves blocking or amplifying each other in different ways.
Current researchedit
In 1989 it was demonstrated how light-sensitive chemical reactions could perform image processing.[3] This led to an upsurge in the field of chemical computing. Andrew Adamatzky at the University of the West of England has demonstrated simple logic gates using reaction–diffusion processes.[4] Furthermore, he has theoretically shown how a hypothetical "2+ medium" modelled as a cellular automaton can perform computation.[5] Adamatzky was inspired by a theoretical article on computation by using balls on a billiard table to transfer this principle to the BZ-chemicals and replace the billiard balls with waves: if two waves meet in the solution, they create a third wave which is registered as a 1.
One of the problems with the present version of this technology is the speed of the waves; they only spread at a rate of a few millimeters per minute. According to Adamatzky, this problem can be eliminated by placing the gates very close to each other, to make sure the signals are transferred quickly. Another possibility could be new chemical reactions where waves propagate much faster.
In 2014, a chemical computing system was developed by an international team headed by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). The chemical computer used surface tension calculations derived from the Marangoni effect using an acidic gel to find the most efficient route between points A and B, outpacing a conventional satellite navigation system attempting to calculate the same route.[6][7]
In 2015, Stanford University graduate students created a computer using magnetic fields and water droplets infused with magnetic nanoparticles, illustrating some of the basic principles behind a chemical computer.[8][9]
In 2015, University of Washington students created a programming language for chemical reactions (originally developed for DNA analysis).[10][11]
In 2017, researchers at Harvard University patented a chemical Turing machine that operated using the non-linear dynamics of the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction.[12] The system that they developed is capable of recognizing a Chomsky type-1 language using Gibbs free energy considerations. This work was subsequently published in 2019, including systems for Chomsky type-2 and type-3 languages.[13]
In 2020, University of Glasgow researchers created a chemical computer using 3D-printed parts and magnetic stirrers in order to control the oscillations of BZ medium. In doing so, they were able to compute binary logic gates, and perform pattern recognition.[14]
^ abKumar, Ambar; Mahato, Akash Kumar; Singh, Akashdeep (2014). (PDF). International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology. 1 (6). ISSN 2349-6002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
^L. Kuhnert; K. I. Agladze; V. I. Krinsky (1989). "Image processing using light-sensitive chemical waves". Nature. 337 (6204): 244–247. Bibcode:1989Natur.337..244K. doi:10.1038/337244a0. S2CID 4257968.
^Adamatzky, Andrew; De Lacy Costello, Benjamin (2002). "Experimental logical gates in a reaction-diffusion medium: The XOR gate and beyond". Physical Review E. 66 (4): 046112. Bibcode:2002PhRvE..66d6112A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.66.046112. PMID 12443264.
^Andrew I. Adamatzky (1997). "Information-processing capabilities of chemical reaction-diffusion systems. 1. Belousov-Zhabotinsky media in hydrogel matrices and on solid supports". Advanced Materials for Optics and Electronics. 7 (5): 263–272. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-0712(199709)7:5<263::AID-AMO317>3.0.CO;2-Y.
^"Chemical GPS Outpreforms Satellite Navigation System > ENGINEERING.com". engineering.com.
^"Empa invents chemical computer faster than a satnav". gizmag.com. 28 October 2014.
^"Stanford has created a water-droplet computer - ExtremeTech". ExtremeTech.
^"This computer clocks uses water droplets, manipulating information and matter at the same time". ZME Science. 10 June 2015.
^Taylor Soper (30 September 2013). "Chemical computer: Researchers develop programming language to control DNA molecules". GeekWire.
^"UW engineers invent programming language to build synthetic DNA". washington.edu.
^Dueñas-Díez M, Pérez-Mercader J (2019). "How Chemistry Computes: Language Recognition by Non-Biochemical Chemical Automata. From Finite Automata to Turing Machines". iScience. 19: 514–526. Bibcode:2019iSci...19..514D. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2019.08.007. PMC6710637. PMID 31442667.
^Parrilla-Gutierrez, Juan Manuel; Sharma, Abhishek; Tsuda, Soichiro; Cooper, Geoffrey J. T.; Aragon-Camarasa, Gerardo; Donkers, Kevin; Cronin, Leroy (2020). "A programmable chemical computer with memory and pattern recognition". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 1442. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.1442P. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15190-3. PMC7080730. PMID 32188858.
"Introducing the glooper computer" - New Scientist article by Duncan Graham-Rowe (Restricted access)
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This article is about computation using molecular and chemical systems For computation using single molecules as active elements see Molecular scale electronics and Molecular logic gate A chemical computer also called a reaction diffusion computer Belousov Zhabotinsky BZ computer or gooware computer is an unconventional computer based on a semi solid chemical soup where data are represented by varying concentrations of chemicals 1 The computations are performed by naturally occurring chemical reactions Contents 1 Background 2 Current research 3 See also 4 ReferencesBackground editOriginally chemical reactions were seen as a simple move towards a stable equilibrium which was not very promising for computation This was changed by a discovery made by Boris Belousov a Soviet scientist in the 1950s He created a chemical reaction between different salts and acids that swing back and forth between being yellow and clear because the concentration of the different components changes up and down in a cyclic way At the time this was considered impossible because it seemed to go against the second law of thermodynamics which says that in a closed system the entropy will only increase over time causing the components in the mixture to distribute themselves until equilibrium is gained and making any changes in the concentration impossible But modern theoretical analyses shows sufficiently complicated reactions can indeed comprise wave phenomena without breaking the laws of nature 1 2 A convincing directly visible demonstration was achieved by Anatol Zhabotinsky with the Belousov Zhabotinsky reaction showing spiraling colored waves The wave properties of the BZ reaction means it can move information in the same way as all other waves This still leaves the need for computation performed by conventional microchips using the binary code transmitting and changing ones and zeros through a complicated system of logic gates To perform any conceivable computation it is sufficient to have NAND gates A NAND gate has two bits input Its output is 0 if both bits are 1 otherwise it s 1 In the chemical computer version logic gates are implemented by concentration waves blocking or amplifying each other in different ways Current research editIn 1989 it was demonstrated how light sensitive chemical reactions could perform image processing 3 This led to an upsurge in the field of chemical computing Andrew Adamatzky at the University of the West of England has demonstrated simple logic gates using reaction diffusion processes 4 Furthermore he has theoretically shown how a hypothetical 2 medium modelled as a cellular automaton can perform computation 5 Adamatzky was inspired by a theoretical article on computation by using balls on a billiard table to transfer this principle to the BZ chemicals and replace the billiard balls with waves if two waves meet in the solution they create a third wave which is registered as a 1 One of the problems with the present version of this technology is the speed of the waves they only spread at a rate of a few millimeters per minute According to Adamatzky this problem can be eliminated by placing the gates very close to each other to make sure the signals are transferred quickly Another possibility could be new chemical reactions where waves propagate much faster In 2014 a chemical computing system was developed by an international team headed by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Empa The chemical computer used surface tension calculations derived from the Marangoni effect using an acidic gel to find the most efficient route between points A and B outpacing a conventional satellite navigation system attempting to calculate the same route 6 7 In 2015 Stanford University graduate students created a computer using magnetic fields and water droplets infused with magnetic nanoparticles illustrating some of the basic principles behind a chemical computer 8 9 In 2015 University of Washington students created a programming language for chemical reactions originally developed for DNA analysis 10 11 In 2017 researchers at Harvard University patented a chemical Turing machine that operated using the non linear dynamics of the Belousov Zhabotinsky reaction 12 The system that they developed is capable of recognizing a Chomsky type 1 language using Gibbs free energy considerations This work was subsequently published in 2019 including systems for Chomsky type 2 and type 3 languages 13 In 2020 University of Glasgow researchers created a chemical computer using 3D printed parts and magnetic stirrers in order to control the oscillations of BZ medium In doing so they were able to compute binary logic gates and perform pattern recognition 14 See also editMolecular logic gate Computer Quantum computing DNA computing Biocomputing Organic computing Fluidics Water integrator History of computing hardware TOP500 Biochemistry Fluid dynamicsReferences edit a b Kumar Ambar Mahato Akash Kumar Singh Akashdeep 2014 Chemical Computing The different way of computing PDF International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology 1 6 ISSN 2349 6002 Archived from the original PDF on 2015 06 15 Retrieved 2015 06 14 Moore s Law Is About to Get Weird Nautilus L Kuhnert K I Agladze V I Krinsky 1989 Image processing using light sensitive chemical waves Nature 337 6204 244 247 Bibcode 1989Natur 337 244K doi 10 1038 337244a0 S2CID 4257968 Adamatzky Andrew De Lacy Costello Benjamin 2002 Experimental logical gates in a reaction diffusion medium The XOR gate and beyond Physical Review E 66 4 046112 Bibcode 2002PhRvE 66d6112A doi 10 1103 PhysRevE 66 046112 PMID 12443264 Andrew I Adamatzky 1997 Information processing capabilities of chemical reaction diffusion systems 1 Belousov Zhabotinsky media in hydrogel matrices and on solid supports Advanced Materials for Optics and Electronics 7 5 263 272 doi 10 1002 SICI 1099 0712 199709 7 5 lt 263 AID AMO317 gt 3 0 CO 2 Y Chemical GPS Outpreforms Satellite Navigation System gt ENGINEERING com engineering com Empa invents chemical computer faster than a satnav gizmag com 28 October 2014 Stanford has created a water droplet computer ExtremeTech ExtremeTech This computer clocks uses water droplets manipulating information and matter at the same time ZME Science 10 June 2015 Taylor Soper 30 September 2013 Chemical computer Researchers develop programming language to control DNA molecules GeekWire UW engineers invent programming language to build synthetic DNA washington edu US 9 582 771 Duenas Diez M Perez Mercader J 2019 How Chemistry Computes Language Recognition by Non Biochemical Chemical Automata From Finite Automata to Turing Machines iScience 19 514 526 Bibcode 2019iSci 19 514D doi 10 1016 j isci 2019 08 007 PMC 6710637 PMID 31442667 Parrilla Gutierrez Juan Manuel Sharma Abhishek Tsuda Soichiro Cooper Geoffrey J T Aragon Camarasa Gerardo Donkers Kevin Cronin Leroy 2020 A programmable chemical computer with memory and pattern recognition Nature Communications 11 1 1442 Bibcode 2020NatCo 11 1442P doi 10 1038 s41467 020 15190 3 PMC 7080730 PMID 32188858 Introducing the glooper computer New Scientist article by Duncan Graham Rowe Restricted access 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chemical computer amp oldid 1207237214, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
