:>: -----Original Message----- :>: From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On :>: Behalf Of R.S. :>: Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 10:32 PM :>: To: [email protected] :>: Subject: Re: silicon photonics - faster than copper :>: :>: W dniu 2013-01-17 18:23, retired mainframer pisze: :>: > While photonic components (switches, etc) may be faster than the :>: current :>: > semi-conductor ones, can the wiring really be a factor. Don't both :>: > electricity and light move at c? :>: :>: Neither light nor electricity move at c. :>: :>: Speed of light depends on the media. c is for vacuum. For fiber optic it :>: is c/RI RI - refractive index, approx. 1.46 :>: So for the calculations people tend to use speed of light (still in the :>: FO) as 200 000 000 m/s. :>: :>: Now, speed of electricity is higher it's approx. 3/4 c. However I can't :>: remember explanation for the number.
This implies that the faster speed of the optical system has almost nothing to do with the wiring as claimed. Thus we have another example of brain-dead journalism. Either the reporter didn't understand what he was told and chose to embellish it incorrectly or he simply repeated whatever buzz words he got from the PR department. Neither case engenders confidence. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
