Week 3

Lesson 1 activities

Activity 3.1.1

Define what is meant by artificial intelligence (AI).

Read the Beebom article and make brief notes about the ten applications of AI in
daily life.
https://beebom.com/examples-of-artificial-intelligence/

Example Role of AI

Virtual personal assistants

Video games

Smart cars

Purchase prediction

Fraud detection

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Example Role of AI

Online customer support

News generation

Security surveillance

Music recommendation
services

Smart home devices

Activity 3.1.2

Explain how Deep Mind learnt to successfully play space invaders.

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Deep Mind uses a branch of AI called ‘reinforcement learning’. This article in the
Chatbots Magazine explains what reinforcement learning involves:
https://chatbotsmagazine.com/reinforcement-learning-and-its-practical-
applications-8499e60cf751
Define the term ‘reinforcement learning’ and give an example of its use.

Personal assistants like Siri and Cortana use so-called ‘narrow’ AI, whereas
Deep Mind is an example of ‘general’ AI.
Explain the difference between narrow AI and general AI.

Narrow AI General AI

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Activity 3.1.3 (homework)

Read this article about how Nasa’s Mars robot, Curiosity, uses AI software.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/06/mars-curiosity-
rover/531339/
What type of decisions does the AEGIS AI software enable Curiosity to make?

Read this article about a factory robot that uses reinforcement learning to teach
itself.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608155/teslas-new-ai-guru-could-help-its-
cars-teach-themselves/

How does the robot teach itself to carry out a new task?

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How can this learning process be speeded up?

Read this article about how Deep Mind is being used to identify early signs of
degenerative eye conditions.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/05/google-deepmind-nhs-
machine-learning-blindness

How will programmers train Deep Mind to spot early signs of deterioration?

What are the benefits of using AI for this purpose?

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The article mentions issues relating to privacy associated with another DeepMind
health project. To what extent does the use of AI in health care represent a
threat to privacy?

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Week 3
Lesson 2 activities

Activity 3.2.1

Question Answer

Quantum computers use qubits rather

than bits. How does a qubit differ from
a bit?

What does the term ‘superposition’

mean in respect to qubits?

What does the term ‘entanglement’

mean in respect to qubits?

Why is a quantum computer able to

search for an item in a database much
more efficiently than a conventional
computer?

Activity 3.2.2

Watch D Wave’s introductory video ‘Quantum Computing and D-Wave Overview’

and then answer these questions.
https://www.dwavesys.com/resources/videos

Question Answer

What are the six possible

applications of quantum
computing mentioned in the
video?

What ‘spooky phenomenon’ does

the quantum computer use?

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Question Answer

When searching for a best

solution, how does the approach
taken by conventional
computers differ from that used
by quantum computers?

What are discrete optimisation

problems? What example is
given in the video?

What are the two ‘exotic’

operating conditions of the D-
Wave quantum computer?

Activity 3.2.3

Using these articles as a starting point, make a list of possible applications of

quantum computing.

‘6 Things Quantum Computers Will Be Incredibly Useful For’

https://singularityhub.com/2017/06/25/6-things-quantum-computers-will-be-
incredibly-useful-for/

‘Quantum computers are here -- but what are they good for?’
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3180194/hardware/with-quantum-computers-
here-developers-seek-uses.html

‘Here's How Quantum Computing Will Change the World’

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2016/10/02/heres-how-quantum-
computing-will-change-the-world/

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Week 4
Lesson 1 activities

Activity 4.1.1

Read this article about building a transistor from DNA and then answer these
questions.
https:/student.societyforscience.org/article/switch-living-computer

Question Answer

What is a transistor?

How does a silicon transistor

work?

What have scientists called the

new type of DNA transistor?

How does a transcriptor work?

What possible application of this

emerging DNA technology does
Jerome Bonnet give in the
article?

Where might DNA-based

computers be able to work
(unlike conventional
computers)?

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Activity 4.1.2

Read this article in the New Scientist.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2123322-first-hint-of-how-dna-
calculators-could-supercharge-computing/
Scientists at Manchester University in the UK have developed a DNA-based
computer known as a non-deterministic universal Turing machine.
Describe the approach used by a conventional computer and a DNA computer
(non-deterministic universal Turing machine) to find the path to the centre of a
maze.

Conventional computer DNA computer

How does this effect the amount of time needed to solve a program?

Conventional computer DNA computer

What is the big problem with the DNA computer developed by the team from
Manchester?

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Activity 4.1.3 (homework)

‘Although deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) computers may not replace silicon-based

computers, the technology has the potential to change our lives.’

Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of DNA computers.

Advantages
• Because a DNA computer perform tasks in parallel, it would be able to solve
some problems much more quickly than a conventional computer.
• A DNA computer is far more energy-efficient because it requires little or no
electrical power to run.
• DNA can withstand a broad range of temperatures (-800°C – 800°C).
• Because DNA computers are so small, they could be deployed in areas that
conventional computers cannot, notably inside living organisms including the
human body.
• Manufacturing DNA is a quicker, cleaner process than manufacturing silicon
chips. It uses fewer toxic chemicals and doesn’t use any non-renewable
materials.
• DNA is a very robust material and has a very long shelf life with no
deterioration of data.
• There is an ample supply of DNA, although currently producing DNA is
expensive and time consuming.

Disadvantages
• Because it’s a new technology, at least initially a DNA computer would be
more expensive than a conventional computer. (According to Microsoft, the
cost of DNA storage needs to fall by a factor of 10,000 before it can be widely
adopted.)
• Reading and writing data into DNA code is currently slow and expensive
because of the chemical process used to manufacture DNA strands.
• Instead of being ‘general purpose’ computers, DNA computers will be
‘instance’ computers, i.e. only good at solving one instance of a problem and
one problem type.

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Week 4
Lesson 2 activities

Activity 4.2.1

Visit the Guardian’s nanotechnology web page and list some of the current uses
of nanotechnology.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/nanotechnology

Activity 4.2.2

Albert Swiston, a biomaterials scientist at MIT, has produced an ingestible

computer that combines a microphone, a thermometer and a battery capable of
collecting several measurements at once from inside a body.
Research applications of ingestible computers. Here are two web links to start
you off.
http://www.hqinc.net/2016/05/09/ingestible-computers-offer-huge-array-of-
possibilities/
http://news.mit.edu/2016/ingestible-origami-robot-0512

Activity 4.2.3 (homework)

Nanotechnologies are increasingly used in mobile phones, computers and other

digital devices.
Describe the key benefits and dangers of nanotechnology. Discuss what can be
done to ensure that people benefit from, rather than are harmed by
nanotechnology?
This website is a good starting point.
http://www.nanoandme.org/home/

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 Answers

Week 3
Lesson 2 Solutions

Activity 3.2.1

Question Answer

Quantum computers use qubits rather A bit can have one of two states 0
than bits. How does a qubit differ from and 1. The same is true of a qubit.
a bit? The difference is that a qubit can be
in both states simultaneously
whereas a bit can only be one or the
other.
A 4-bit register in a conventional
computer can store one of 16 binary
configurations at any given time,
whereas a 4-qubit register in a
quantum computer can store all
sixteen numbers simultaneously,
because each qubit represents two
values. If more qubits are added, the
increased capacity is expanded
exponentially. A 20-qubit register can
store 1,048,576 configurations.
What does the term ‘superposition’ A qubit can be in two states at the
mean in respect to qubits? same time. But as soon as it is
measured it collapses into one state,
which one cannot be predicted
What does the term ‘entanglement’ Pairs of qubits are able to interact
mean in respect to qubits? with each other instantaneously, no
matter how great the distance
between them.
The state of the qubit being
measured is decided at the time of
measurement and communicated to
its correlated qubit, which then
assumes the opposite state.
Why is a quantum computer able to If a normal computer requires t
search for an item in a database much amount of time to find an item in a
more efficiently than a conventional database, a quantum computer can
computer? achieve the same outcome in the
square root of t.

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Activity 3.2.2

Question Answer

What are the six possible • Genomic analysis to help find better
applications of quantum drugs
computing mentioned in the • Debugging large, complex systems
video? • Looking for ‘bad guys’ in large amounts
of data
• Space exploration
• Optimise water works
• Building AI that can help to solve very
difficult, complex problems
What ‘spooky phenomenon’ does Quantum mechanics – a thing can be in two
the quantum computing use? states simultaneously.

When searching for a best Whereas a conventional computer would

solution, how does the approach consider one solution after another, a
taken by conventional quantum computer compares all possible to
computers differ from that used solutions at the same time hugely speeding
by quantum computers? up the time it takes to find the best one.

What are discrete optimisation Problems for which the optimum solution
problems? What example is requires a large number of factors in
given in the video? different combinations to be taken into
consideration.
The example given is a natural disaster,
where lots of people need help but there
are only a limited number of resources.
Working out what order and where to send
help so as to rescue as many people as
possible is hugely complex because there
are so many possible different
combinations. In a situation like this,
finding a fast answer is really important.
What are the two ‘exotic’ Uses a liquid helium cooling system to keep
operating conditions of the D- the chip at 15 millikelvins (-459.6 degrees
Wave quantum computer? Fahrenheit) which is 150 time colder than
interstellar space.
Operates in an extremely low magnetic
environment.

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Activity 3.2.3
The list is likely to include applications such as:
• AI
• Molecular modelling
• Cryptography
• Financial modelling
• Weather forecasting
• Particle physics
• Robotics missions in space
• Search, image labelling and voice recognition.
• Predicting traffic patterns of cabs in Beijing
• Protein mapping

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Week 4
Lesson 1 Solutions

Activity 4.1.1

Question Answer

What is a transistor? A tiny switch that can be turned on or

off.

How does a silicon transistor Silicon transistors work by controlling

work? the flow of electricity. When on, they let
the electricity pass; when off, the flow of
electricity is halted.

What have scientists called the A transcriptor.

new type of DNA transistor?

How does a transciptor work? Instead of controlling the flowof

electricity, it makes a molecule called a
protein when on and makes nothing
when off.

What possible application of this DNA technology could be used to turn

emerging DNA technology does germs in the body into disease hunters
Jerome Bonnet give in the and to send out a warning signal if
article? disease is detected.

Where might DNA-based Inside the human body.

computers be able to work
(unlike conventional
computers)?

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Activity 4.1.2

Conventional computer DNA computer

Turn in one direction and follow that Explore both paths simultaneously,
path to the end, then try a different and keep doing so every time the
route if that one leads nowhere. path splits until the right route to the
centre of the maze is found.

How does this effect the amount of time needed to solve a program?

Conventional computer DNA computer

The trickier a problem is to solve, the Because all possible routes to a

more steps it requires, and the longer solution are explored simultaneously,
it takes to come up with an answer. trickier problems take the same time
to solve as easier ones.

What is the big problem with the DNA computer developed by the team from
Manchester?

They can’t yet program it to do what they want.

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Activity 4.1.3 (homework)

‘Although deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) computers may not replace silicon-based

computers, the technology has the potential to change our lives.’

Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of DNA computers.

Indicative content
Technology
• An emerging branch of computer science, also known as biomolecular
computing
• Uses DNA and biochemistry instead of silicon-based electronics
• Currently the DNA used in DNA computing is synthetic, strands of DNA act as
‘bits’

Speed
• Potentially slower than conventional computers
• Tasks are executed in parallel, so some problems could be solved much more
quickly than when using conventional computers

Cost
• Because it’s new and scarce, a DNA computer is likely to be more expensive
than a conventional computer at least in the short term
• Because there is so much of it and is easy to produce, DNA is potentially
cheaper than conventional storage media
• Storing at a molecular level provides much more data storage
• Reading and writing data to DNA is much more time consuming than for
other types of storage

Environment
• Fewer toxic chemicals are used to create DNA computers
• DNA computers are much more energy efficient to run than conventional
computers
• DNA manufacturing/ growing is a quicker, cleaner process than
manufacturing silicon chips

Reliability
• DNA degrades very slowly so can store data indefinitely unlike conventional
hard disks and magnetic tapes
• Currently needs a good deal of human assistance to complete solutions
• DNA is vulnerable to errors and considerable effort is currently underway to
address this

Applicability
• Long term data archiving
• Because they are so small, DNA computers may be made to work inside
living organisms
• Using DNA for storage/computation may have unanticipated ethical issues

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