Professor Li mentioned that Moore’s Law is continuing and that there is no sign of stopping. However, this depends on which angle you are looking at things. Considering the generally accepted definition of Moore’s Law, it is stated that in 1965, Gordon Moore proposed that the number of transistors on a silicon chip would double every year. Because of this, we have experienced an exponential growth of computing power that has made much of the technology of today possible.
Change from the focus on hardware to software
For over the past 50 years, the focus has been on the physical side by reducing the size of transistors. Currently, the industry has accomplished making the transistors as small as 10 nanometer, which is so small that new complications have arisen. The research and development departments are dealing with electrical leakage, increased generated heat, and expanded cost of cooling. These problems are the main causes of contributing to the slowing rate of growth in processor power. It is estimated by several experts that Moore’s Law will end around 2025 because transistors will have reached their physical limits. Will this mean that technology advancement is all gloom and doom?
Not necessarily. Because it has been relatively easy to focus on increasing processor power by expanding the number of transistors on a single chip, there never really was any incentive to optimize performance out of a single chip. As the human species naturally seeks continued advancement, I believe that pushing more performance out of the same single chip will become much higher of a priority. This could translate to better algorithms, to optimize both efficiency and speed. We simply do not have a choice. How much and for how long this switch will lead to improved performance remains to be seen.
How do you think Moore’s Law will be continued? What are your predictions regarding the impact of switching to a software focus for Moore’s Law?
Let me know in the comments below!
References:
Rotman, D. (2020). We’re not prepared for the end of Moore’s Law. Retrieved on 10 September 2020 on https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/02/24/905789/were-not-prepared-for-the-end-of-moores-law/
Loeffler, J. (2018). No more transistors: The end of Moore’s Law. Retrieved on 10 September 2020 on https://interestingengineering.com/no-more-transistors-the-end-of-moores-law
Moore, S., K. (2019). Another step toward the end of Moore’s Law. Retrieved on 11 September 2020 on https://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/devices/another-step-toward-the-end-of-moores-law
Bailey, B. (2018). The impact of Moore’s Law ending. Retrieved on 11 September 2020 on https://semiengineering.com/the-impact-of-moores-law-ending/
Tardi, C. (2020). Moore’s Law. Retrieved on 12 September 2020 on https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mooreslaw.asp
