🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <505@gvax.cs.cornell.edu>, jqj@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (J Q Johnson) writes:
> Going one step further out, why use matter to encode data at all?   If you 
> want bulk sequential storage, simply modulate an EM wave directed at a
> distant point (that destination might be a reflector of some kind if you
> know you will want to retrieve your data at the same location you generated
> it).  Result:  effectively infinite bulk storage at the cost of a finite
> and small number of electrons. 

I'm not sure what "effectively infinite" means, but I do know that any EM
"wave" is made up of individual photons, which must appear in groups
(using current technology) of 5 or more to generate a detectable signal.
Even if you could get it down to 2 photons (1 == off, 2 == on, 100% detection
efficiency) the storage will be far from infinite -- it will be, in fact,
finite. (*gasp*).  

There is also an energy requirement: if it were as you describe, you could
make a jim-dandy perpetual motion machine that way.


-- 
Ed Nather
Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin
{allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather
nather@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU