Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Making Computer Memory From a Virus

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the at-the-speed-of-sick dept.

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."

7 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 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. 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.
  3. Re:Ethical concerns by jginspace · · Score: 5, Informative

    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?"


    Most would consider a virus to be non-living. See Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus

  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. 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
  6. 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