http://gizmag.com/go/6990/
An article where researchers are developing
light computers are similar to quantum computing in that the *concept* has been around for a much longer time than any actual progress toward feasibility. this is sort of like fission power in the 40's or flying cars - The technical capability to construct such devices is within the grasp of human capability, pending a limited number of solvable barrier problems (ethics, funding, etc) and proof of actual benefit (see fusion today: we can make the dynamo but no one has a genuine power plant yet. most fusion 'plants' are still net power loss).
So crystal ball? not really. light computing was a known concept (sort of like macrostructures (ex: dyson sphere/swarm) for far future hard sci-fi) as opposed to 'out there' ideas like teleportation for your morning commute (which Shadowrun wisely chose not to include as a near future tech)
that said, it's interesting that shadowrun chose to stick with largely mechanical computing, rather than the neural network computing systems that have been proposed, which would have tied in well with the themes of biological exploitation.
I see nothing new in that article that hasn't been researched for years. Would be cool to know how they want to achive a lightwave that isn't sine. (square wave would be so much more efficient for optical computers). Normally Maxwell (the physicist) would protest, maybe there is a way in certain materials... don't know *shruggs*.
...I've also been researching "Fly. By Light" control systems (along a similar line to what the Bath researchers are doing). Such systems would lighter in weight (fibre optics can carry more instructions on a smaller cable) and not have the associated heat issues as with conventional electrical wiring harnesses.
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