computer system

m021 · Lieutenant Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 218

In "Future's End", Voyager is on Earth in the year 1996. They try to download a database from a '96 computer, but they 'have to convert it from their binary system'.

Then, if they don't use the binary system, what system do they use?

Monkey · **Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:57 am**

who the Voyager or the 96 ppl be more specifeic

m021 · Lieutenant Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 218

Sorry, I meant:
- in 1996 the binary system is used
- obviously, Voyager uses another (newer) system

PrankishSmart · **Tue Apr 06, 2004 8:03 am**

I think it may be something like quantum computing, or something like it. We always hear 'qiqaquads', whatever that might be.

m021 · Lieutenant Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 218

PrankishSmart · **Tue Apr 06, 2004 8:36 pm**

^Yeah. Well if voyager has computers based on quantum computing there would be more than just 1's and 0's. There would be perhaps a dynamic amount of states in between.

Monkey · **Sun Apr 11, 2004 11:29 am**

All computing no matter how quantim it is, uses binary
and a "TerraQuad" is one trillion byte X one trillion bytes

webtaz99 · **Sun Apr 11, 2004 2:23 pm**

Monkey · **Sun Apr 11, 2004 6:44 pm**

oh ok whatever if ye say so

EnsignParis · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 07 Sep 2001 Posts: 257

Tsuki no Hikari · Ensign, Junior Grade Joined: 12 Feb 2002 Posts: 41

Well, the 1 meaning on and 0 meaning off really just stems from the history of when computers had switches to input data. 1's were on and 0's were off.

If the units of 4 measure is done somewhat like the binary system, it would go somewhat like this, I think.. Stupid brain sometimes.

1 byte = 256 combinations of 8 bits
quad equivalent = 65,536 combinations

1 kilobyte = 1.091 x 10^2466 total combinations of bits
quad equivalent = 1.190 x 10^4932 total combinations

So actually, using the quad system, in just pure combinations, would yield a massive increase in possible data storage. It gives us a parabolic relation between bits and quads. In today's standards, and if this figure was accurate, then a Gigaquad would yield the equivalent of 1,000,000,000 Gigabytes, or 1 Exabyte. That is one fifth of the total information generated in 2002.. Just now we're emerging with 1 Terabyte hard drives. 1 Gigaquad would be the equivalent of 1 million of these drives.

Also to put this into perspective, 1 Gigaquad would be able to hold the entire Library of Congress nearly 100,000 times. Just imagine a Teraquad then.

webtaz99 · **Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:30 pm Analog computers**

Analog computers were first built using vacuum tube technology, but now they use modern IC techniques. In either case, voltages represent quantities and mathematical operations can be performed using them. Analog computers are currently being used to compute complex partial differential equations (aka "chaos") such as weather. Analog computers are good at finding so-called "great attractors".

Hyper · Ensign Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Posts: 60 Location: UK

Even quantum computing uses the binary system, thats the only reason it'd be so fast! The thing is when you get into the quantum realm of things it all goes a bit hazy. The reason why quantum computng would be so fast is that electrons have a spin on them, but for reasons of quantum madness (and you can look up a bloke called Niehls Bohr) it is entirely possible for them to appear in two places at once, but with different spins. Hence, if you can get a semi conducter to change state at infinite speed, you have the power for infinite speed computing! I'll have a look for the artice I read, but I think that if you had a quantum computer of 300qubits, it could interact with every single particle in the universe.

WARNING!! I am about to put something a bit wierd below. If you are a bit paranoid or get easily worried/confused, do not read it!

So what could you do with this amount of power? Well, pretty much anything. For a start heizenburg (forgive the spelling, its probably wrong!) compensators would be entirely plauseable! The main thing is that we could run a simulation of the universe. Why is this so, for want of a better word, disturbing? Well, there is absolutely nothing to say, and dont laugh, that we aren't already part of that simulation. A bit similar to the matrix, but there are no real things involved. We could be paused, reset, fast forwarded and we would never know. The Q a reality? Makes sense now! The obvious response is 'why should I care'. Well you shouldn't, just something to make you think twice when you get up in the morning!