Is this possible? (Storage) (Off-topic?) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

10 Apr 1998

 Not to beat a dead horse, but I believe Tim's question was relevant. I 
 read about optical storage using holography well over ten years ago 
 but am unaware of its present use or status. This may not strictly 
 qualify as classic computer subject matter but shouldn't we give a 12 
 year-old a break? Tim should be commended and encouraged for his 
 interest in computer science and preservation, not hen-pecked over the 
 fact that he related his question to a Star Trak episode.

 Keep asking questions Tim and don't let anybody intimidate you into 
 silence.

 Marty Mintzell

______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Is this possible?  (Storage)  (Off-topic?)
Author:  classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet
Date:    4/10/98 2:09 PM

 Star Trek is a television show.

 Do you really think that this question is appropriate? 
 Two words... alt.startrek

 van

...
 Sorry, but this has been bugging me for quite some
time.  In Star Trek, they 
use "Isolinear" based memory circuts to store information in both the short 
and long term.  So, from the looks of it, it's some kind of crystal, and can 
transmit it's data very quickly, and with no moving parts, so I'm guessing 
that it's similiar to today's RAM.  Now, for the hard part: It can hold 
entire encyclopedia's in tiny amounts.  In one episiode, they had nanites, 
little robot-bugs that could hold "gigabytes of information," and were 
microscopic.  Furthermore, in some episodes, they find Chodak and T'Kon 
ruins, between 900,000 to 700,000 years old, with half or more of the data 
intact.
    Was crystaline storage ever attempted like this?  Is it possible? 
Feasable?
    Thanks,

Tim D. Hotze  

 .........................................................................

                                       @
                                      /
                                     /  Shift Lever
                                 (D)/
 \===================================== @ ================ Floor Plan === 
 BNL            |- - -Phase Shifter- - - -|--/ Get Wired!
 - ------------]=[]@----------------------@                  415.276.4979 
 Trans-      ]  ]](A) Toll Free 1.888.208.6655  (B) ? (C) Rear Connection 
 mission     ]]]]]]]]]]]]Driveshaft]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
         ]  ]]
 71 ------------]         web superstation of the stars... 
 van burnham                    http://www.futuraworld.com 
 production manager
 wired 520 third street fourth floor san francisco ca 94107 united states 
 ......................................................................... 
 for immediate emergency wireless access send email to van-page(a)wired.com 
 van(a)wired.com  van(a)futuraworld.com  pingpong(a)spy.net  vanburnham(a)aol.com

 ------ Message Header Follows ------
 Received: from lists2.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com
   (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm))
   id AA-1998Apr10.140909.1767.36428; Fri, 10 Apr 1998 14:09:15 -0400
 Received: from host (lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13])
       by lists2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP
    id LAA18051; Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:03:44 -0700
 Received: from mxu3.u.washington.edu (mxu3.u.washington.edu [140.142.33.7])
       by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP
    id LAA63546 for &lt;classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu&gt;du>; Fri, 10 Apr 1998
 11:03:35 -0700
 Received: from wired.com (get.wired.com [204.62.131.5])
       by mxu3.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with ESMTP
    id LAA04060 for &lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;du>; Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:03:34

 -0700
 Received: from [206.221.206.170] (wrs.wired.com [206.221.206.170])
  by wired.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id LAA15918
  for &lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;du>; Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:01:03 -0700
 Message-Id: &lt;v03110700b1540e831ecb(a)[206.221.206.170]&gt; 
 Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:14:44 -0700
 Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu 
 Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu 
 Precedence: bulk
 From: Van Burnham &lt;van(a)wired.com&gt;
 To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" 
 &lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
 Subject: Re: Is this possible?  (Storage)  (Off-topic?) 
 In-Reply-To: <001001bd64a0$934d3ee0$3167bcc1@hotze> 
 Mime-Version: 1.0
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" 
 X-Sender: van(a)pophost.wired.com
 X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN