Blog Articles

Recently, I wrote a few words about Demis Hassabis, a computer scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. With the upcoming release of a ZX Spectrum reproduction from Retro Games Ltd, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my early days in computing with a ZX Spectrum. As I sifted through the history of the ZX, I came across a photo of Demis with a ZX Spectrum—it turns out he started out on the same machine! Maybe there’s hope for me yet.

Ever wish you had more time in the day? Maybe to finish a project, catch up on a TV series, or even just sneak in a few extra minutes of sleep? If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard friends say, ‘If only I could slow down time, I’d get everything done!’ My go-to response? ‘Of course, it’s possible! All you need are really big magnets.’

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly moved from science fiction to a part of our everyday lives. Tools like ChatGPT are at the forefront of this transformation, generating text, holding conversations, and answering questions with a fluency that seemed unimaginable not long ago. But how does it actually work? What’s happening under the hood when you type in a question?

I’ve stolen this idea from a friend, Apostolos. His perspective inspired me to explore how recent Nobel Prize wins by computer scientists demonstrate the profound impact of computer science on other fields, and as a computer scientist I am deeply proud of this news!

When I was a kid, technology was a very different beast from what we have today. I remember my early adventures with computers involving serial ports - those humble connectors that offered a mere fraction of the speed and utility we take for granted today. If you had a computer in the 90s, you might recall those bulky, often 9- or 25-pin connectors, designed to transmit data so slowly you could practically count the bits as they streamed through.