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So here is the back and forth between my professor and I after I sent him your response and a quick explanation:
Gooch: "Somebody on a movie forum was talking about 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I posted what you'd said about HAL being way too big. I mentioned the problem with the heat he would generate. This was the reply:"
Citizen Rules: "That's interesting. I wonder why your computer teacher thinks the the size of the main frame of large computer like HAL would generate too much heat? Seems to me it would provide better air movement for cooling. Maybe HAL's processors were located on the outside of the ship for maximum cooling by the ultra cold of space. I guess Kubrick knew for sure."
Gooch: "I was curious about your thoughts on this. I know that they didn't have enough air moving to cool down HAL inside the ship, and aside from exposing their computer to the random elements of space, absolute zero temperatures would be too much for a CPU to function in.
Again, not urgent."
Goochs Professor: "Interesting, but I didn’t say a HAL sized computer would generate too much heat.
What I said was the size of the computer (distance the bits would have to travel through the system and the time it would take) would slow processing speed and thus severely limit processing speed. As a result, it would be impossible to develop a LARGE and intelligent computer.
I’ve attached a short clip out of a book I have that partially explains what I was actually saying. What I did not explain in class is the compromise between speed and inefficiency (heat generated). Small is faster but heat is a big problem. Large is slower, but heat is less of an issue.
I’ve attached a short clip out of a book I have that partially explains what I was actually saying."
(had to re-write this since it was just a link to a picture of some text. The header in the top right corner said "Quantum Physics".)
"The small size is important for speed, since the velocity of signals that travel down wires is less than the speed of light. In one typical computer cycle (1 nanosecond, or a billionth of a second), light can travel only 30 centimeters, or 1 foot. So to be able to exchange information with other parts of the computer, the whole thing must be small."
Gooch: "Somebody on a movie forum was talking about 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I posted what you'd said about HAL being way too big. I mentioned the problem with the heat he would generate. This was the reply:"
Citizen Rules: "That's interesting. I wonder why your computer teacher thinks the the size of the main frame of large computer like HAL would generate too much heat? Seems to me it would provide better air movement for cooling. Maybe HAL's processors were located on the outside of the ship for maximum cooling by the ultra cold of space. I guess Kubrick knew for sure."
Gooch: "I was curious about your thoughts on this. I know that they didn't have enough air moving to cool down HAL inside the ship, and aside from exposing their computer to the random elements of space, absolute zero temperatures would be too much for a CPU to function in.
Again, not urgent."
Goochs Professor: "Interesting, but I didn’t say a HAL sized computer would generate too much heat.
What I said was the size of the computer (distance the bits would have to travel through the system and the time it would take) would slow processing speed and thus severely limit processing speed. As a result, it would be impossible to develop a LARGE and intelligent computer.
I’ve attached a short clip out of a book I have that partially explains what I was actually saying. What I did not explain in class is the compromise between speed and inefficiency (heat generated). Small is faster but heat is a big problem. Large is slower, but heat is less of an issue.
I’ve attached a short clip out of a book I have that partially explains what I was actually saying."
(had to re-write this since it was just a link to a picture of some text. The header in the top right corner said "Quantum Physics".)
"The small size is important for speed, since the velocity of signals that travel down wires is less than the speed of light. In one typical computer cycle (1 nanosecond, or a billionth of a second), light can travel only 30 centimeters, or 1 foot. So to be able to exchange information with other parts of the computer, the whole thing must be small."
The drive-in movie theaters of the 1950's wouldn't have been the same without him. Roger Corman might very well have produced more films than any one else. His specialty were low budget sci fi and horror films. He shot Attack of the Crab Monsters in only 10 days and for a paltry sum of $70,000. This might best be described as C or D movie, as production values aren't nothing to write home about. But what Corman lacks in quality he makes up with colorful story lines. 
