British nanotechnologists have emulated the functions usually associated with transistor-based digital electronics in all-metallic nanoscale devices made from ferromagnetic materials. This technology could lead to three-dimensional microchips with tremendous memory capacities. These devices, which can be described as "MRAM that can think," mimic the functions of the brain. The design is using "a complex interconnected network of nanowires, with computing functions and decisions performed at the nodes where they meet a similar approach to neurons and axons in the brain." When these chips become available, probably in a few years, they will offer 100 GB of storage capacity for the cost of a memory card. Read more on ZDNet's Emerging Technology Trends.
Sources: Imperial College London news release, September 8, 2005; and various web sites
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