First, let me tell you that my background is in medicine not technolgy. I am a retired orthopaedic surgeon who has been interested in computer technology for many years.

Second: I specialised in joint replacement surgery and revsion of hip and knee replacements. As such, I both listened to and gave lectures on these aspects of the surgery, I did so in the UK and other countries.

Third: because I trained in the 60's and 70's, I was fortunate to be able to witness the development of joint replacement and fracture fixation surgery from its infancy. I was obliged to read and prepare all manner of papers for journals etc. This resulted in weighing up a whole generation of surgical prostheses and techniques, some succeeded and some failed. Weighing up the pros and cons became a constant routine, discussed at length with many colleagues.

I tell you this for no other reason than I have sat through many hundreds of lectures over nearly 40 years and have some insight into judging how good a scientific lecture is or is not.

The EC lecture was not given slickly (believe me, many are not) but was satisfactory and I have attended many lectures presented just like that and from many excellent people. The audience were largely lay and not technological in background. Dr Taylor was trying to present an extraordinarily esoteric subject, which, to understand, would require a major background in microprocessor technology in order to comprehend. He was brief by the standards I am used to and his task was utterly impossible in the time offered.

I got out of it one item. This is that the POET microprocessor functions using light for the transfer of information within the interior of the processsor and well as to the exterior. As some will know, light has constant velocity in a vacuum and Einstein's theory of Relativity states that the speed of light cannot be exceeded by anything in the known universe. Because it is constant, all other measurements such as length, mass, momentum, energy and time must vary with increasing velcocity. The importance of this for us is that using light ensures the fastest possible speed both within a POET microprocessor as well as outside. Existing microprocessors do not have this and rely on transfer of information by metallic contacts which slow everything; any use of lasers is added on later. When they do this, it generates heat and as systems get smaller interference with transfer elsewhere. It is this unique engineering that differentiates POET from Silicon and it means that a well engineered GaAs microprocessor is working as fast as is possible within the laws of current physics at a fixed level of minaturisation and clock speed. It is why he indicates the huge potential for its development among a large range of manufacturers who take up the technology. It is summarised in one unique sentence which I paraphrase: there is no other alternative than POET if you wish to speed processing currently, there is no competitor at this point in time.

The remaining advatages are well known to this forum e.g modest costs to fit into existing 8 inch fabs, low heat, faster processing , lower power usage.

The fall in SP that occured happened as the professor spoke and was absolutely nothing to do with the lecture. It was the product of market manipulation of various sorts. A partial correction has already occurred and there seems, at least to me, more buyers as time passes. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing that was said alters the great hope that I had when I first invested in this company more than 3 years ago. The journey to success appears significantly closer. If you want in, buy now.

David