Decades after his death, the ideas of British mathematician Alan Turing are
still heavily influencing computer scientists. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann
Institute in Rehovot, Israel has now created a hypothetical computer called a
Turing machine using nucleic acid molecules. A long polymer molecule emulates
the infinitely long tape envisaged in Turing鈥檚 model, while a 鈥渞ule molecule鈥
operates on sections of it to read and write data using techniques similar to
those used by ribosomes, the protein factories inside cells.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Mind
THC in cannabis may reduce nightmares in people with PTSD
News
Environment
Fishers detonate a bomb every hour on one Indonesian coral reef
News
Environment
How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles