Linux-kernel mailing list archive 1998-10,: Re: [OFFTOPIC] UFO Technology? Definitely not, but read c't!

# Re: [OFFTOPIC] UFO Technology? Definitely not, but read c't!

Kurt Garloff (garloff@kg1.ping.de)
Thu, 12 Mar 1998 11:31:05 +0100

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On Wed, Mar 11, 1998 at 10:22:30PM +0100, Viggo L. Norum wrote:

> I guess the UFO-article was a joke, but the fact is that existing
> Earth developed technology is 2000 times better (Humans: 170 TB on a
> credit card, fake aliens: 90 GB on a poker chip). A good article
> about it can be found in the Linux friendly magazine "c't":
>
> http://www.heise.de/ct/98/03/018/ (German)
> http://www.heise.de/ct/english/98/03/018/ (English)
>
> The key words in the c't article are: Data processing and storage
> using opto-elecronic plastic film. The specs of the system described
> are in the range of 170 TB storage on a plastic credit card and access
> times which are a small fraction of normal RAM. Using laser-printing
> technology it is possible to make opto-electronic circuits in a speed
> of square meters of plastic per second.
>
> A Norwegian company named "Opticom AS" leads the development in this
> area. The stock prices for the company have been very turbulent
> during the last year: http://base.nettvik.no/bin/fo/graf.cgi?ticker=OPC

Let me second the recommendation for this computer magazine.

The technology presented in the article is based on polymers. The principle
possibility to store data with this technology is known for some time and it
is reported that a japanese lab had prototypes ten years ago.
Most scientists however doubt that any company has solved all technical
problems and is able to massively produce RAM based on polymer technolgoy.

The 170 TB mentioned is a value, which a scientist (Gudesen) thinks to be
possible. It can be achieved with several layers (3D). He also mentions access
times of 5ns!

By the end of this year, Opticom wants to produce and sell the first RAMs in
mass production. These, however, will have only one layer and store several
Megabytes and not Terabytes.

Note, that there are a lot more companies working on 3D memory chips (IBM,
AT&T, ...), but they didn't announce a mass production by the end of 1998.

    --
    Kurt Garloff, Dortmund
    <K.Garloff@ping.de>
    PGP key on http://student.physik.uni-dortmund.de/homepages/garloff

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