A Stanford bioengineer has designed a computer that calculates with water. The result could be faster, cheaper chemical processes on an industrial scale.
In Manu Prakash’s computer, water microdroplets infused with magnetic nanoparticles take the place of digital ones and zeroes. A magnetic field organizes the droplets the way a computer’s internal clock orchestrates electrical processes. As the field turns on and off, it directs the droplets through a maze of gates and channels the way that a regular computer shunts electrical pulses through pre-programmed routes.
