The Microprocessor and Peak Oil - Discontinuities in our Civilisation

ORATIEREEKS
This lecture will explore the challenges of working in an exponentially changing world from the perspective of a computer engineer and architect. The benefits and problems associated with exponential change in computer systems will be illustrated by also exploring current events that follow the exactly the same trends. The challenges of introducing concurrency into our computer chips is the main topic of the lecture but both the growth of technology and our use of oil have been significant events in our society, appearing to be discontinuous but in fact following a predictable and challenging curve. Certainly their effects have been discontinuities in our society and will have lasting impact
C.R. Jesshope is professor of Computer Systems Engineering. He is currently leading the Computer Systems Architecture Group at University of Amsterdam, which has interests in microarchitecture and concurrent systems including simulation at all levels from cycle-accurate models through early design-apace exploration.