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From: beckenba@tybalt.caltech.edu.Caltech.Edu (Joseph R. Beckenbach)
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Re: VERY LARGE main memories: crypt
Message-ID: <972@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: Thu, 11-Sep-86 21:00:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: cit-vax.972
Posted: Thu Sep 11 21:00:27 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Sep-86 22:47:59 EDT
References: <15505@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <5100124@ccvaxa>
Sender: news@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu
Reply-To: beckenba@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (Joseph R. Beckenbach)
Organization: Calfornia Institute of Technology
Lines: 42

In article <5100124@ccvaxa> preece@ccvaxa.UUCP writes:
>
>> /* Written  4:16 pm  Sep  7, 1986 by bwong@ihwpt.UUCP in ccvaxa:net.arch */
>> If there are only that many electrons in the whole universe, how can
>> you develop storage, using electrons, that is as large ?
>----------
>Virtual memory.
>
>-- 
>scott preece
>gould/csd - urbana
>uucp:	ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!preece
>arpa:	preece@gswd-vms

Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Re: VERY LARGE main memories: crypt
Summary: virtual memory ~> #electrons in universe
Expires: 3 October 1986
References: <15505@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <5100124@ccvaxa>
Reply-To: beckenba@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (Joseph R. Beckenbach)
Organization: Calfornia Institute of Technology
Keywords: memory

In article <5100124@ccvaxa> preece@ccvaxa.UUCP writes:
>> If there are only that many electrons in the whole universe, how can
>> you develop storage, using electrons, that is as large ?
>Virtual memory.
>scott preece

The point is that our memory is based on electrons.
Open eyes, please. Virtual memory must be supported somewhere, or else
when we turn our attention from that section of memory, it gets moved to
oblivion. In current (small on this scale) virtual memory implemetations
this support is hardware or media-- physical things-- with electrons
(is this a chemistry/physics/science review for anyone?), or else 
ALL THAT INFORMATION GOES AWAY.  Permanently, which is not memory by any
imaginable definition. Meaning: virtual memory < #electrons in universe.
We need a few for electron-positron research :-), computer power,
and TV power :-(. 

End digression from virtual implementations. Please.
			--- JRB3