Sun aims to speed up data by swapping wires for frickin' laser beams

It's far from the first time we've seen lasers touted as a means of boosting data speeds exponentially, but Sun seems to think it has a better chance than most of making it a reality, thanks in no small part to $44 million in funding from DARPA. As The New York Times reports, that cash haul will be put to use to "explore the high-risk idea of replacing the wires between computer chips with laser beams," which would not only allow for computers to be smaller, but as much as a thousand times faster as well. Needless to say, however, there's quite a few significant hurdles to overcome before that happens, and even Sun itself admits that there's a "50 percent chance of failure." They also say, of course, that the potential benefits are worth the risks, with them even going so far as to boast that the technology would be a way of "breaking Moore's Law."

[John @ Mar 24th 2008 11:29AM]

to be honest, it's moore like a guideline.

[Chicksta @ Mar 24th 2008 11:29AM]

Have they cleared the use of the lasers w/the 'little old lady' first?

[FRZ @ Mar 24th 2008 12:15PM]

That old lady is gonna be freaking rich. Quick, somebody pull a Anna Nicole on her before its too late.

[DorianGray @ Mar 24th 2008 3:31PM]

Who brought this chick and where can I get one like her?!...

On another note; I wish I was the CEO of Sun. Man!

"Here's 44 million bucks. Go out and build us something that works. Or not. Either one is fine..." - US. Gov't

[granny down east @ Mar 24th 2008 11:34AM]

How did I know DARPA was behind this?
Bring on the sharks!!

[Jake E. @ Mar 24th 2008 11:39AM]

I love the way Engadget said "frickin' laser beams" lol

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Mar 24th 2008 11:50AM]

From now on, the word "laser" shall not be written or spoken without being preceded by "frickin."

So let it be written, so let it be done.

[Neebs @ Mar 24th 2008 1:28PM]

It even has precedence!
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/15/a-harp-made-of-frickin-laser-beams/

(Oh, I hope I'm not ruining some game the editors are playing).

[engadgetier @ Mar 24th 2008 3:14PM]

"i want some frickin' sharks with frickin' laser beams" XD

[Brandon @ Mar 24th 2008 11:41AM]

Mini-Me, stop humping the laser!!!

[Rainier @ Mar 24th 2008 11:47AM]

$44 million isn't exactly a lot of money these days. Virtucon alone makes over 9 billion dollars a year!

[phanbouy @ Mar 24th 2008 4:11PM]

yes but is that as much as ONE MEEEELION DOLLARS???

[Technex @ Mar 24th 2008 11:46AM]

Friken' CPU's with lasers on there heads!

[roflercopterer @ Mar 24th 2008 12:08PM]

I was disappointed that this article ignored the most interesting aspect of anything having to do with lasers. That is, what will they be mounted on? Computerchips? Boring. Mammal or Aquatic life? Fun.

[Warhorse @ Mar 24th 2008 12:24PM]

Wouldn't this be a moot point if the telecom companies didn't move to the same format for data transfer? "Sure my webpage loads the same but you should see the way my spreadsheets compute data!!"

[BillyFlan @ Mar 24th 2008 12:26PM]

Moore's Law refers strictly to transistors:

"the number of transistors that can be inexpensively placed on an integrated circuit is increasing exponentially, doubling approximately every two years."

(frickin) Laser based tech, while undeniably cool and potentially very useful, has nothing to do with Moore's Law.

[Brent @ Mar 24th 2008 1:02PM]

Booo! c'mon any reference to Moore's Law is a good one, even if, you know, it's completely wrong.

[Geoffrey Sneddon @ Mar 24th 2008 1:10PM]

If you can reduce the number of wires on the CPU with something smaller, then you can get a greater number of transistors on the CPU in the same space. That's how this is related to Moore's Law. Think it through logically. It makes sense.

[Ace @ Mar 24th 2008 3:50PM]

You are correct, this has nothing to do with Moore's law. While you can perhaps fit more transistors on the Si since you are freeing up space, Moore's law refers the the exponential decrease in size over a period of 18-24 months.

Mr. Sneddon's remark shows a complete lack of understanding of the law

[Cole @ Mar 24th 2008 12:28PM]

Engadget, you seem to be forgetting that you reported on IBM doing this sort of thing between multiple CPU's so that the CPU's could play nice with each other.

[GhostDoggy @ Mar 24th 2008 12:48PM]

Until I can get some fricken sharks armed with lasers then I could care less what Sun has plans to do with them. Sharks, people.

[phanbouy @ Mar 24th 2008 1:05PM]

your blog sucks. i dont care if it has two mats and 4 pads.

[yoz @ Mar 24th 2008 1:11PM]

I bet that on that kind of machine you could play Crysis all settings at high on 42" LCD with 170 or more FPS! :D

[Phil B. @ Mar 24th 2008 3:33PM]

Yea. but will it play DOOM?

[andres @ Mar 24th 2008 6:10PM]

@phil
the better question is, what wont play doom nowadays

[Reader @ Mar 24th 2008 1:30PM]

Tera is 1 trillion, I believe, not three.

[retro77 @ Mar 24th 2008 1:41PM]

How about some ill tempered sea bass?

[granny down east @ Mar 24th 2008 2:16PM]

AHA! a fisherman.
Black sea bass, at that, with (frickin) lasers- NC Recreational Salt Water Fishing, the newest blood sport!

[granny down east @ Mar 24th 2008 2:21PM]

I couldn't find the Engadget article about DARPA mounting lasers on sharks for underwater mischief. It's old, tho---maybe 2 years ago?

[phanbouy @ Mar 24th 2008 2:35PM]

3. 4. 1,000,000,000,000. same thing

[Matt @ Mar 25th 2008 6:26PM]

Didn't IBM already do this? I think they're a few steps ahead of Sun.

[Mark Peskin @ Mar 25th 2008 1:39PM]

I'd add this one to your "believe it when you see it file". You'd think from the NYT's typically breathless coverage that Sun just created this idea, but microelectronics researchers have been talking earnestly about using optical interconnects (both free-space and waveguide-based) for both inter and intra-chip connections since before I started Electrical Engineering grad school - 15 years ago. There's a long history of research funds being poured down a hole in this area.