Computing with water droplets

[meekerdb]

An amusing example of computation


--- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120907082027.htm

Towards Computing With Water Droplets: Superhydrophobic Droplet Logic ScienceDaily (Sep.
7, 2012) ? Researchers in Aalto University have developed a new concept for computing,
using water droplets as bits of digital information. This was enabled by the discovery
that upon collision with each other on a highly water-repellent surface, two water
droplets rebound like billiard balls.

http://www.geekosystem.com/water-drop-computing/

[an ad-heavy page, but includes a decent video of a 1-bit counter]

Brent

[Craig Weinberg]

Cool. I think this shows how computation applies when water behaves like objects (billiard balls) but does not apply when it remains in a fluid state. Computation in this case relies on the superhydrophobic or non-hydrophiliac state of water. The phobic-philiac distinction is not trivial, as it recapitulates the inner-outer dialectic of self and other.