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Re: Seymour. Met him several times as well

and, because I was one of those who got private IBM briefings "back in the day", I asked him if he was doing any research on deep cryo to reduce his cooling requirements (Cray's refrigeration was indeed his "secret" advantage for years!). Yes! Quoth he, but his refrigeration was so good and already developed he did not pursue it (or so he said). As IBM, Fujitsu et al were trying to challenge him at the time he was remarkably closed mouthed about it then. As for being eccentricly brilliant . . . amen!

IBM indicated that some improvements remained in circuits that went through long duration cryogenic treatment (what is called deep immersion today), even after they returned to more normal temperatures. As was their wont, their never published a thing. Cray did, somewhat somewhat later(this was about 1983, as I recall) as did Fujitsu though I do not recall ever seing an English translation of their article I am sure there is one somewhere. No article I ever saw would qualify as a "paper".

Changes wrought by cryogenic treatment in metals (and dielectrics) are now well established but are used mostly for mechanical things (knives, bearings, etc). As you probably know even better than I, Chris, Jeniffer WhiteWolf Crock (Jena Labs) and Lloyd Walker are enthusiastic supporters of Cryo for many things in Audio (power, interconnects and Walker actually cryos much of his phono pre-preamp). Each of them has considerable background in the sciences (to put it mildly) but they have never published either.

The major computer research on cryogenics was in the early to middle 1980s and what little was published was only after there was no longer any competitive advantage derived from the process. Quite typical, really.

There is material to be found on Google but I do not have time to sort through it all. The best place to find the pertinent material is likely a good library.


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  • Re: Seymour. Met him several times as well - Auricle 02/18/0608:07:23 02/18/06 (0)


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