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Making Computer Memory From a Virus

An Ac writes, "By coating 30-nanometre-long chunks of tobacco mosaic virus with platinum nanoparticles, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have created a transistor with very fast switching speed. They say it could eventually be used to make memory chips for MP3 players and digital cameras. A device fitted with such a virus-chip would access data much more quickly than one using flash memory."

30 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. until you catch the virus by Loconut1389 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What if I drop the thing and cut myself on the memory? Will I get songs stuck in my head forever?

    1. Re:until you catch the virus by idkk · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes - and they will be faster than normal!

      --
      Ian D. K. Kelly

      idkk Consultancy Ltd.

      "Quality through Thought"

    2. Re:until you catch the virus by Nocturnal+Deviant · · Score: 5, Funny

      so you mean Metallica will sound like the chipmunks in your head for eternity....oh great "SANATARIUM" screamed by Alvin, Simon, and Theodore......

      --
      -Noc
  2. Last time by jlebrech · · Score: 3, Funny

    The last time I had a virus, I ended up with less memory.

  3. Great by arun_s · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you've got any illegal MP3's, your player kills you.
    Judge, jury and executioner all in one!

    --
    I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you.
  4. Yeah, I think that everyday... by hummassa · · Score: 5, Funny

    as I lunch some tenderloin with bacon and after, when I watch TV on my leather couch while drinking some beer. And cheese. :-)

    --
    It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
  5. Re:Ethical concerns by CosmeticLobotamy · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think we should be asking ourselves "Is it really ok to subvert lifeforms like this for our own use?"

    I'd answer, but my mouth is full of animal and vegetable lifeform. It's delicious.

  6. Re:Buzzzzzwords! by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 2, Funny

    Will the NCSA get involved because of the infringement on Mosaic?

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  7. Re:Ethical concerns by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Is it really okay to subvert ' lifeforms ' like this?"

    After all, they are trumpeting speed, but won't the legendary instability of the biological world come into view?

    "Ooh, look. My memory mutated. It wasn't intelligently designed."

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  8. who's on first? by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    "you have a virus in memory"

    "i know, my memory is made of viruses"

    "no, i mean, there is a memory resident virus on your computer"

    "no, the memory resides on the viruses"

    "let me rephrase: your memory, made of viruses, has a virus"

    "so you're telling me i have more viruses... so i have more memory? yeah!"

    "no, this is a bad thing, you don't want viruses on your computer"

    "you told me last week i want the most memory i can on my computer, and that's made of viruses"

    "yes... i mean no, i mean..." (smacks forehead)

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:who's on first? by lisaparratt · · Score: 2, Funny

      Scan complete!

      423,827
      Viruses found!

      A new record!!

    2. Re:who's on first? by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2, Funny

      That is not a small number! That is a BIG number!

      Chris Mattern

    3. Re:who's on first? by indifferent+children · · Score: 3, Funny

      Running Microsoft Anti-Virus: working...working...working...out of memory.

      --
      Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain
  9. Designer Viruses - extreme weirdness by spineboy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can't wait until designer prankster viruses come out. Imagine that instead of becoming sick, weird things happened to people. They might really! stink for a day, have their tongue turn numb, develop inappropriate laughter, only want to eat orange colored food, etc.

    Might be kinda of fun - it would be like gold(?) kryptonite, but for people. Gold (I think) kryptonite had weird unpredictable effects of Superman. It might make the world a little more fun. Imagine going to some very stuffy conservative place, and everyone was burping all day long.
    Abuse potential would be rampant though. Someone from here might want to design a strain to make reallllllly hot chicks want to have sex with smelly fat geeks.

    --
    ..........FULL STOP.
    1. Re:Designer Viruses - extreme weirdness by TrekkieGod · · Score: 2, Funny
      it would be like gold(?) kryptonite, but for people. Gold (I think) kryptonite had weird unpredictable effects of Superman.

      That would be red. Gold kryptonite could permanently remove his powers.

      This was just a test to bring us ultra nerds out in the open wasn't it? Damn, alright I confess. I'm not just a trekkie, I'm a comic book guy as well.

      --

      Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.

  10. Not suitable for Macs by SanderDJ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Steve (a veganist) won't have any of this. Living creatures serving as memory. Yuk!

  11. Reverse-reverse meme? by Unique2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In the United States of America your computer runs on a virus!

    --
    No trees were harmed in the posting of this message. However, a great number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  12. Future trends... by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you've got any illegal MP3's, your player kills you.
    Judge, jury and executioner all in one!


    So what you are hypothesizing is that in a few years we will see a Microsoft Zune or iPods with Sony EbolaFlash® memory chip technology.

    --
    Only to idiots, are orders laws.
    -- Henning von Tresckow
  13. Dual-purpose memory by StringBlade · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not only does it run faster than conventional memory, it's an anti-smoking chip: if it catches you smoking at the computer it infects your cigar/cigarette with itself

    --
    ...and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
  14. Re:Ethical concerns by famebait · · Score: 4, Funny

    This raises an ethical concern for me. I think we should be asking ourselves "Is it really ok to subvert lifeforms like this for our own use?"

    Yes, it's a slippery slope. If we allow this, before you know it they will be using higher life forms like plants or even animals to serve human needs.

    --
    sudo ergo sum
  15. The first? by gmby · · Score: 3, Funny

    So is this the first analog computer virus?

    Your search - "analog computer virus" - did not match any documents.

    Looks like google agrees.

    --
    I don't want a pickle; I just want a Motor-Cycle! A four foot cop arrived with a five foot gun!
  16. Copyright violation by Sir+Homer · · Score: 2, Funny

    If the virus starts replicating, are they commiting copyright violation?

    How will the RIAA sue? I'm sure they will find a way.

  17. Re:Very fast switching speed???? by noigmn · · Score: 3, Funny

    But think about how good it will be when they can do these things with higher level lifeforms. For instance if we could use people to switch things and their brains to do complex calculations and somehow network them together using some form of complex communication made up of various sequences of sound...

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    Slashdot is powered by your submission.
  18. MP3 player memory for Zune? by pete.com · · Score: 2, Funny

    It will come pre-loaded with viral material saving you the time and effort of gathering it yourself.

  19. Re:Ethical concerns by Sushhh · · Score: 1, Funny

    Most would consider a virus to be non-living.

    Ah, so virii are like zombies! ...No, I mean, like dead zombies! ...No, wait...

  20. Re:Buzzzzzwords! by dpmapping · · Score: 2, Funny

    Tobacco?
    Good job the internet is made of Pipes!!!
    Now we have something to put in those Pipes...

  21. Pimp that Virus by giafly · · Score: 3, Funny

    What will those crazy scientists bling next?

    --
    Reduce, reuse, cycle
  22. Re:Ethical concerns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Lets not forget that viruses main function is to subvert other lifeforms for their own use/benefit. So think of it more as a cultural exchange.

  23. RIAA.... by mrops · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wow dude, RIAA is gonna hire a hitman to take you down for the copyright infringement.

    There is no way you can claim fairuse if you have a copy of songs etched in your neurons.

  24. Living? by Sienf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, and what happens if people will reconsider that viruses might be living?

    Next thing we know, PETA will be protesting against using the poor buggers in transistors.