Computer Tech

R. Stanley Williams, a researcher at Hewlett-Packard is heading a team in an effort to develop computer memory that is just a couple hundred atoms wide. He and his team of researchers are trying to perfect a molecular memory capable of holding just 16 bits of data--about 16 letters' worth. The memory will consist of nano-scale wires laid out in a grid, with molecular "switches" at the points where the wires cross. The switches will determine how information is stored and routed on the grid. The best part, says Williams, is that the memory could be created by throwing the tiny wire grids and the switches together in a chemical soup. The switches would attach themselves to the grid, eliminating what would otherwise be a costly manufacturing process. Pretty crazy idea and could lead to computers that are way smaller and more powerful than anything around today.