Infinite Memory in very finite spaces

Strewth...just seen this on NewSci....

Racetrack memory was dreamed up and patented by Stuart Parkin, one of IBM's chief researchers, more than four years ago.

His calculations suggest it could provide faster, cheaper and higher capacity storage than RAM or hard disk storage. But the technique at its core had until now not been demonstrated.

Today's technologies are each hamstrung in different ways: RAM is fast but expensive, and hard drives are slow but cheap. Racetrack memory, says Parkin, will be both fast and cheap.

The bits – 1s and 0s – of data in racetrack memory are stored in the tiny magnetic domains of a very thin U-shaped wire. A magnetic field is used to write data to the domains. Pulsing current through the wire pushes those dom

And now they've just built one that works....early days of course, but this is the start of another step increase in memory efficiency.

Of course, we may not be be around to enjoy the benefits of all the music and movies on the planet on your iPod - in the print version is an argument that when civilisation gets to a certain level of complexity, it can collapse under its own internal frictions (shades of Jared Diamond).