The Marvelous Magic of Microprocessors

Featured Speaker: Madhukar (Maud) Rao, PhD

Arthur C. Clarke, author and futurist, once wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Over the last 20 years, advances in semiconductor and information technology have allowed information to be gathered and shared worldwide in the blink of an eye, and now anyone can get information on just about anything at any time. This presentation will try to demystify the “magic” of this technology. It will cover the mathematics of information processing and the science, engineering, and evolution of the transistors at the heart of today’s microprocessors. It will also discuss the prospects for further technological advancements.
 

Presenter Biography

Madhukar (Maud) Rao is a new member of Osher, having joined in January 2022. He spent most of his 36-year career doing research on new materials used to fabricate the most advanced semiconductor chips that go into PCs, tablet computers, and smartphones. Maud has a PhD and Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Penn State University and an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Coordinator: Mavis Porter