7 Oct
1998
7 Oct
'98
3:34 p.m.
CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com wrote:
Yeah, Tim, but computers are made of more than single protons (so
far). The half-life of molecules (and the frinstance computer cases
made out of them) is a lot less -- not counting the magnetic charges
in storage media. Most collectors don't _quite_ think about eternity
for the machines, but a few generations might be nice. (I _do_ think
about eternity, since I'm not handicapped by religious assumptions of
mortality -- plus I don't collect "rare" pieces anyhow).
--
Ward Griffiths <mailto:gram@cnct.com> <http://www.cnct.com/home/gram/>
When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked me if I had any
firearms with me. I said "Well, what do you need?" -- Steven Wright
Has there been any discussion about the eventual
fate of our collections
after we are gone?
Well, some supersymmetric (SUSY) theories of grand unification predict
that protons will eventually decay. Current experiments put the mean life
of the proton at well over 10^40 years, so I'm not too worried myself.