Re: [Phys-L] charging a capacitor reversibly (or nearly so)

[Bernard Cleyet <bernard@cleyet.org>]

On 2014, Aug 06, , at 08:38, John Denker <jsd@av8n.com> wrote:

> Also note that modern computers, memories, and logic 
> chips are based on using switches to charge up capacitors.
> Cutting down on energy requirements (including cooling 
> requirements) is always desirable, so there is interest 
> in "reversible computing" aka "adiabatic computing".
>
> This provides yet another example showing the value of
> /interdisciplinary/ work.  If you're going to invent
> adiabatic computing, you need to know a fair bit about
> the application area (chip design), and also a fair bit 
> of fundamental physics.


Another example of the law of small numbers.  Yesterday I read Feynman’s speech transcript in which he discusses reversible computing, cooling, and micro-computers.

[Computing Machines in the Future]