People sometimes ask me the names of the large numbers. Here is a table. The system used in the U.S. is not as logical as that used in other countries (like Great Britain, France, and Germany). In these other countries, a billion (bi meaning two) has twice as many zeros as a million, and a trillion (tri meaning three) has three times as many zeros as a million, etc. But the scientific community seems to use the American system.

Strange as it sounds, the computer of tomorrow could be built around a cup of coffee. The caffeine molecule is just one of the possible building blocks of a 'quantum computer', a new type of computer that promises to provide mind boggling performance that can break secret codes in a matter of seconds.

Every so often a new technology surfaces that enables the bounds of computer performance to be pushed further forwards. From the introduction of valve technology through to the continuing development of VLSI designs, the pace of technological advancement has remained relentless. Lately, the key to improving computer performance has been the reduction of size in the transistors used in modern processors

"fact a quantum computer capable of performing Shor's algorithm would be able to break current cryptography techniques in a matter of seconds"

Also let's not forget Deep Crack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Crack ) which can break a 56bit DES message in 22 hours.

University of Washington Department of Computer Science & Engineering
CSE P 590TU: Practical Aspects of Modern Cryptography Winter 2006
The introductory lesson already touches on the enormous size of the number space that is the root of the security of modern cryptography.

But then again, as further lessons show, security by size alone may be deceptive as long as tricky mathematics allows to significantly reduce the search space.

Imagine a computer that is the size of a grain of sand that can test keys against some encrypted data. Also imagine that it can test a key in the amount of time it takes light to cross it.

Dan Gordon, from the Sleep With One Eye Open intelligence thriller series by Haggai Carmon operates as a lone wolf. He gave up a promising career with the Mossad when one blown cover relegated him to a desk job for life. Now based in the U.S., he works for the Justice Department, gathering intelligence, recovering assets and following elusive trails around the world. His assignments often overlap with matters of national security, so he’s no stranger to collaborating with the CIA…and using his Mossad training to get out of very sticky, often deadly situations.

Citizens of 12 countries around the world, including Cuba, Iran and Syria, are automatically subjected to extra screening at US airports unless they have been specifically cleared, I would say OK but I would not think Cuba is or ever will be a threat the the USA

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In focus groups, teens described their new environment. To them, email is increasingly seen as a tool for communicating with “adults” such as teachers, institutions like schools, and as a way to convey lengthy and detailed information to large groups. Meanwhile, IM is used for everyday conversations with multiple friends that range from casual to more serious and private exchanges.