New technologies are opening entirely new possibilities for the development of materials. While blacksmiths spent hundreds of years testing the strength and durability of materials—such as steel—directly on the anvil, today’s scientists rely on very different methods. Thanks to supercomputers and quantum technologies, they can now predict the properties of materials atom by atom.
Dr. Martin Friák spoke for Czech Radio about how he and his team, to some extent, continue the tradition of ancient blacksmiths who developed new materials—though now using modern methods and technologies rather than hammers and anvils: “We build materials in the computer, atom by atom, like Lego bricks. We also make use of supercomputers. It may sound strange, but even these supercomputers are no longer enough for us. A new technology—so-called quantum computers—is emerging, and they promise far greater computational performance. Thanks to them, I believe we could, within the next two decades, develop all the materials we need.”
How much faster and more powerful a quantum computer is compared to a conventional one can be heard in the full interview on Czech Radio, in the Věda Plus programme (approx. 13:55:30).
