Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!caip!pyrnj!mirror!datacube!john From: john@datacube.UUCP Newsgroups: net.arch Subject: Re: VERY LARGE main memories: crypt Message-ID: <3200009@datacube> Date: Fri, 12-Sep-86 02:24:00 EDT Article-I.D.: datacube.3200009 Posted: Fri Sep 12 02:24:00 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Sep-86 09:51:15 EDT References: <15505@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Lines: 22 Nf-ID: #R:ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU:15505:datacube:3200009:000:754 Nf-From: datacube.UUCP!john Sep 12 02:24:00 1986 >As I think I've mentioned before, it is believed that there are >approximately 2^200 electrons in the universe. Since it is unlikely that >anybody would want to reference more things than there are electrons in the >universe, 200 bits seems like a good upper bound for the length of a memory >address. > >Roy Smith, {allegra,philabs}!phri!roy Oh, good, there is a physical upper bound! There are about 2^200 electrons in the universe, and the the most efficient possible memory element uses one electron, then it is impossible to have more than 2^200 bits of memory :-). John Bloomfield Datacube Inc. 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960 617-535-6644 ihnp4!datacube!john decvax!cca!mirror!datacube!john {mit-eddie,cyb0vax}!mirror!datacube!john