Non-silicon chips...

>Hans Rancke-Madsen [email removed] says:
>
>>From: Corran J. Webster [email removed]
>>    The Virus is going to make technological advance extremely difficult in
>>affected areas, however, so that recovery may well be not possible - every
>>time that a civilisation gets to TL 7 or so, it will almost surely start
>>using silicon chips,
>
>What's the bet that someone will develop a non-silicon chip before the
>Cymberline predator has been on the scene 10 years?

Looks like Gallium Arsenide chips will finally be reasonable.

My Dad does research in Gallium Arsenide Superconducters.  He is
one of the better known researchers in the field. My Sister does
research in Gallium Arsenide Semiconductors.  When they are both
in town, the phrase I hear most often is:

     "Gallium Arsenide -- The technology of the future,
                          as it always will be."

Alternatives to Silicon exist TODAY.  The problem is that
silicon is much cheaper and easier to work with than Gallium
Arsenide or the other substitutes (ErRhBa?  Sigh, I tend to
tune out the physics lecture over the holiday tables.)

I'm not sure that replacing silicon will actually fix the problem
with the Virus.  Life is insidious, I suspect that the virus would
simply mutate to eat whatever new technology you dreamed up.

- --
Matthew Goldman              E-mail: [email removed]
Fax: [phone removed]                  Work: [phone removed]
      "Say George, I don't mean to interrupt, but
       there's a glowing red dot on your forehead."