Our computer systems will more resemble the human brain with the capacity to learn. They will respond to natural language and interact with us as cooperative partners. However, we at NASA do not view these three technologies as independent from each other. They are highly integrated and synergistic. Biological processes are inherently designed, built and operated at the nanoscale atom by atom, the ultimate in miniaturization.
Single cells perform the work of entire chemical factories.
The information contained in a DNA molecule is a billion times more dense and energy efficient than anything we can build out of silicon. The model of the ultimate thinking computer is the brain. Despite this, we have serious barriers to overcome before we can achieve the full potential of this technology triad for the 21 st Century. Using the best technology available today, we can mass produce microsystems with feature sizes of about one tenth of a micron. Advanced lithography may achieve a resolution below a tenth of a micron, but this is still 100 to 1000 times greater than the atomic scale.