Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!ns-mx!uunet!shaman!jiro
From: jiro@shaman.com (Jiro Nakamura)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: small instructions
Message-ID: <1991Jun17.043545.5268@shaman.com>
Date: 17 Jun 91 04:35:45 GMT
References: <1991Jun15.224614.10258@kithrup.COM>
Sender: jiro@shaman.com (Jiro Nakamura)
Organization: Shaman Consulting
Lines: 21

In article <1991Jun15.224614.10258@kithrup.COM> sef@kithrup.COM (Sean Eric  
Fagan) writes:
> The most successful organisms on this planet are the "simple" ones:
> insects.


   Ahh yes, but the mammals have all their capabilities in EEPROM. Some
of the more advanced mammals (us???? maybe) have them in SRAM. I think
most insects are still using old fashioned ROM that has to be burnt
in at the design stage. No hopes of upgradability there. :-)
   On the other hand, having your source code in hardened ROM does allow
the insects to be very resistant against ultraviolet and other types
of radiation.  I don't think that the Designer is coming out with a 
properly shielded mammal species yet (armadillo 2000?). 

   - jiro nakamura
     jiro@shaman.com
-- 
Jiro Nakamura				jiro@shaman.com
Shaman Consulting			(607) 256-5125 VOICE
"Bring your dead, dying shamans here!"	(607) 277-1440 FAX/Data