The academy of sciences

Russian scientists are making a great contribution to the development of world science and technology in all the main fields. Today there is probably no area of human knowledge in which works of Russian scientists do not play an important part.

Russian scientists have reached great successes in mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine, geology, engineering sciences and other fields of knowledge. They have constructed new modern automatic production lines, initiated laser technology, and produced new types of computers, microprocessors and microcomputers.

The Academy of Sciences is responsible for the general guidance of research in the main areas of the natural and social sciences. Founded in St. Petersburg in 1724, it was moved to Moscow in 1934. The Academy of Sciences has nearly 700 full members (Academicians) and Corresponding Members and more than 70 honorary members from other countries. The Academy's main tasks are to promote basic research directly connected with production development, to determine potential for the technical progress and contribute to the fullest use of scientific innovations in Russia.

Notes:

There is probably no area of human knowledge – вероятно, нет такой области человеческих знаний

to be responsible for – быть ответственным за

At the computing centre of the academy of sciences

Our country gave great support to the development of computing engineering as soon as this branch of science appeared. Several computing centres are known to have been established all over the country. It is from these centres that computational mathematics started to penetrate into all other branches of science, economic planning and industrial and agricultural management.

The Computing Centre of the Academy of Sciences was set up on the initiative of Academician M. Lavrentyev. The centre developed new numerical methods, worked out the ways and means of automating programming, solved practical problems for various institutes and perfected new computers.

As the centre developed, its work became more and more complex. There are many complicated problems to be solved in science and industry with the help of new methods. Mathematical methods of planning and industrial management involving electronic computers are being used on the increasing scale. Our scientists have developed electronic computers capable of performing up to hundred million operations per second and much more.

The Computing Centre of the Academy of Sciences pays much attention to the training of specialists. It holds scientific engineering seminars and gives consultations to the students. The Computing Centre maintains extensive scientific contacts with institutes and organizations of other countries of the world. Its leading scientists often make reports at international conferences and symposiums.

News in the computer field

1. Holography and Computer Memory. A new polymer to coat holographic plates - reoxane - has been developed. Reoxane will bring about many changes both in holography and in other areas—computers, for instance. These machines required devices with a huge memory capacity. It is now believed that holographic memory is more suitable for these purposes, as any data from it can be retrieved in a microsecond and the cost of this device will be comparatively moderate. The limit of reoxane memory has not been measured, but it is known that it is hundreds and possibly thousands of times larger than electronic memory.

2. Computing at the Speed of Light. A group of scientists of the Edinburgh University has been investigating the remarkable properties of an indium-antimony compound with a refractive index that varies with the intensity of light falling on it. They have found that a tiny increase in the light incidence can produce a large change in the light emerging. This brighter emerging beam persists even when the triggering light beam is reduced again in brightness. In this way the crystal acts as a switch and "remembers" the triggering light impulses. The group has incorporated these properties into new computer components, which operate on low-powered laser beams and can respond in picoseconds. So the modern electronic computer may be replaced by much faster equipment that uses optical devices. In the future such computers which include these optical devices will be probably called the optical computers.

3. Current Injection Logic Circuits. Scientists from the IBM Company have invented a new family of experimental computer circuits. Called "current injection logic" circuits, they operate in 13 trillionths of a second taking 7 picoseconds to perform their switching function and another 6 picoseconds to send an electric signal from one circuit to another.

In fact the speed of an electrical signal moving between these new circuits is only limited by the speed of light.

These circuits function at temperatures close to absolute zero (-273° Celsius), where many metals lose all resistance to electrical current flow. But these "superconducting" circuits operate three times faster than any of circuits previously developed. Because of their speed and low heat output the new circuits promise a future generation of more powerful computers.

Notes:

reoxane – реоксан (полимер)

an indium-antimony compound with a refractive index – соединение индия с сурьмой с показателем преломления

the light incidence – угол падения света

the light emerging – появление света

This brighter emerging beam – Этот более яркий появляющийся луч :

the triggering light beam – запускающий световой луч

current injection logic circuits – схемы с токовой инжекторной логикой