For the 2024 Long Night of Science, we invite you to discover an unusual form of information processing: the coffee computer! In our interactive experiment, we’ll demonstrate how a simple cup of coffee becomes a computational wizard.
By playing words through a speaker, we create wave patterns in the coffee. These waves are not only beautiful to look at but also serve as a “reservoir” in which information can be processed and patterns recognized—a principle known as reservoir computing.
In a clear and accessible way, we’ll explain how neural networks work and why the coffee computer is a great example of this. You’ll learn how simple everyday objects can be used to explain exciting phenomena in modern technology.
A glimpse into the future: We’ll show how the mixing of waves works not only in a coffee cup but also with light waves in optical fibers. In nonlinear optical fibers, for example, we use light waves for ultra-fast information processing. In the future, these technologies could help develop faster and more energy-efficient computers.
Come by and immerse yourself in the exciting world of the coffee computer and modern information processing—we look forward to seeing you!