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<TITLE>RE: [extropy-chat] Warwick: Could future computer viruses infecthumans?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Except the heat dissipation by some thermal module, the computer can also</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>reduce the heat by reducing the CPU volt. (such as Intel SpeedStep) or</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>CPU throttling (reducing the effective CPU freq.).</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Of course, there will be some performance down in doing this.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To let a notebook get a cold, maybe there will be some side effects also</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>(like you feel sick when you get a cold).</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Thanks.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Walter.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>---------</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org [<A HREF="mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org">mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org</A>] On Behalf Of Adrian Tymes</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 9:12 AM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: ExI chat list</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] Warwick: Could future computer viruses infecthumans?</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>--- Walter_Chen@compal.com wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> Certainly you didn't overreact.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> It's very good to see some detailed explanation from</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> experts.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> But sometimes imagination can lead to some important</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> creation also.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> (Now I am thinking how to let the PC, esp. a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> notebook, to get a cold to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> solve the more </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> and more difficult thermal problem.)</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Biological metaphor: exercise. If your computer is</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>too cold, run it a lot and most computers will warm up</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>pretty quickly - especially if they're not designed</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>with good heat sinks.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>The converse is a good example of where biological</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>metaphors break down. In practice, computers often</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>run too hot - and they don't sweat. (Water +</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>electricity = bad, although there have been attempts</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>at water-cooled systems.) But they do take advantage</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>of passive and active heat dissapation mechanisms,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>some of which do not have close analogs in nature.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>(E.g., certain metals and ceramics are excellent heat</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>conductors, so use them to ship heat from the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>computer's core to the air outside. Few biological</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>creatures have natural metal or ceramic anything, not</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>even heat sinks like this.) Fans to cool off are seen</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>in nature and in computers, but computer fans tend to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>be made out of multiple parts in ways that are</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>difficult to grow in a single creature, but easy for</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>us to manufacture.</FONT>
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