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news release
For the attention of: News editors
PR4480
Wednesday, June 27, 2001
FROM FOSSILS TO THE FUTURE OF COMPUTERS AT SCIENCE SHOWCASE
Visions of the high-speed computers of the future and fossils more than 65million years old
will be put in the spotlight as Open University academics join colleagues at a prestigious
exhibition.
They will be among experts staging exhibits to bring the latest in scientific achievements to
the public's attention at the Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition next month.
The breakthrough that quantum computers will bring to our hi-tech world will be the focus of
one of the 23 exhibits as academics, including those from the OU, show how the machines
will enable us to solve certain problems faster than is possible with today's technology.
Exhibition visitors will be able to operate an optical simulation of a quantum computer, which
differs from a classical computer in the way it works on the 'bits' of information it uses in
performing mathematical operations. Whereas a classical computer works on individual
numbers one at a time, a quantum computer works on all possible numbers at the same
time.
The researchers for this exhibit include Dr Andrew Greentree, Dr Joy Manners, Sebastian de
Echaniz and Dr Alan Durrant, of the university's Department of Physics and Astronomy, and
David Chapman, of the university's Department of Telematics.
How fossil leaves are seen as nature's ancient meteorologists will be the subject of the
second exhibit that features the work of an Open University academic. Prof Bob Spicer, of
the university's Department of Earth Sciences, will join colleagues from other institutions to
explain how the analysis of the features of fossil leaves has been used to reconstruct the
climate of the dinosaurs.
m/f
-2The exhibit will include animated displays that show the predicted climate for the time of the
dinosaurs and demonstrate that the analysis of fossil leaves can be used as a test of the
computer climate models that are used to predict the future.
Thousands of people are expected to visit the exhibition, which has free entry and is open to
the public. It will give visitors the opportunity not only to see the latest in cutting-edge science
but also to talk to the scientists about their work and how it might improve our lives in the
future.
Royal Society executive secretary Stephen Cox praised the quality of the exhibits. "The
teams featuring the Open University staff went through a rigorous selection process and
have done extremely well to be two of only 23 selected," he said. "This year's Summer
Science Exhibition really does have the very best of science on show and is a highlight of the
UK's science calendar, attracting thousands of people every year."
The exhibition will be staged at The Royal Society in Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y
5AG from Tuesday, July 3 to Thursday, July 5. For more information, call 020 7451 2578 or
visit the website at www.royalsoc.ac.uk
EDITOR'S NOTES
Prof Bob Spicer is working with Prof Paul Valdes of the University of Reading; Dr Alexei
Herman of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Dr Anders Ahlberg of the University
of Lund, Sweden; and Dr Jiri Kvacek of the National Museum, Prague.
Dr Andrew Greentree, Dr Joy Manners, Sebastian de Echaniz, Dr Alan Durrant and David
Chapman are working with Dr John Vaccaro of the University of Hertfordshire.
A full list of exhibitors at this year's Summer Science Exhibition is available upon request
from the Royal Society's press office. The Royal Society is an independent academy
promoting the natural and applied sciences.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Liz Brodie, Bob Ward, Lize King The Royal Society press & public relations 020 7451 2568
Neil Coaten
Open University media relations
01908 652580