Random(ly) Access(ed) Memory

Ramifications — origin story for a new/old/now paradigm

Logan Ramsay
Nov 1 · 3 min read

Once upon a multiple, unquantifiable time, in an integrated circuit made of millions of transistors and capacitors — a memory controller [now, inside this very machine] told tiny bag-like capacitors that they are either empty (0) or full (1)[1]. But there’s a problem — complication — in a millisecond they become empty, just like human memory, these points need constant re-reading and re-writing. The memory controller runs this spinning-plate cycle thousands of times a second — an array of…

Keep the story going. Sign up for an extra free read.

You've completed your member preview for this month, but when you sign up for a free Medium account, you get one more story.
Already have an account? Sign in

Logan Ramsay

Written by

A nexus of words, video and sound — a carrier bag of poetics and theory, working the prism and strings. ⌘

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade