“Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” – Steve Jobs Technology is all about efficiency. It’s about creating something that is smarter, stronger, and more powerful than we could ever be. The first computers must have wowed the people who saw them, but they are mere cavemen compared to the demigod-like power of the devices we wield today. We are constantly searching for that next breakthrough, that next schism that further separates us from these all powerful beings that we have crafted. Of course, these computers have not turned on us because although we have given them true power, we left free will dangling in front of them like a proverbial carrot. We consistently chase this ever fleeting goal of ultimate efficiency by improving the processing power, upping the storage capacity, and streamlining the interface. Logic dictates that a plateau exists where we can go no further, but each passing day further cements the fact that we are far from such a place. As the opening quote suggests, technology can be a tool for doing wonderful things. We gamers exist because enough people saw the potential for technology to create a new medium of entertainment. This website exists because of those people, and the PS5 will exist because that dream will never die. Technological Breakthrough: 3D Stacked RAM Researchers at Rice University have developed a way to create what is known as 3D stacked RAM, or also commonly known as resistive random access memory (RRAM). This kind of memory has been around, but the cost of manufacturing it was too expensive, so no one really pursued the concept. In theory though, this method of chip manufacturing can create single postage stamp sized chips that can hold as much as a terabyte of data. Currently, 3D stacked RAM is being considered as an alternative for smartphones which still use flash memory. Like flash memory, it doesn’t need a constant supply of power to store data. Flash memory however, uses transistors to store bits of information, and this new type of RAM uses resistance to store data which means less space is required. It also operates a hundred times faster than flash memory, so there’s that too. Normally, to create 3D stacked RAM, there has to be a lot of high-temperatures and extreme voltages present. This new method developed by the folks at Rice University allows the process to happen at a low voltage and at room temperature which honestly sounds too good to be true. Without going into ridiculous amounts of scientific jargon, I’ll explain how the process works. It starts with a layer of silicon dioxide that has a bunch of tiny holes that are each five nanometers wide. Very, very tiny. This layer is sandwiched between two thin layers of metal that serve as electrodes. When a voltage is applied, the metal migrates into the … Read More