THE FUTURE

IBM has unveiled a supercomputer 1,000 times more powerful than “Deep Blue,” which defeated world champion chess player Gary Kasparov in 1997. The new machine includes over 8,192 copper microprocessors and occupies the space of two basketball courts. It will be used to simulate nuclear weapons tests.

British civil engineers Knight Piesold are claiming that they have found a way to design bridge spans up to 6.5 kilometres long, three times longer than are built now. Working with aerospace designers Marconi Avionics, the engineers propose using aerofoils on either side of a suspension bridge deck. These would enable the decks to “fly” and maintain stability in the highest winds.