Like a delicious, biocompatible computer
By Clay Dillow Posted 07.14.2011 at 4:35 pm 4 Comments

This is Actually Jell-O But you get the idea. markaud via Flickr

NC State researchers have created a new kind of soft, flexible memory device that functions like a memristor and has the consistency of Jell-O. In other words, it’s soft, flexible, works well in wet environments, and is pretty much ideally suited for biocompatible electronic devices that work inside of or on biological tissues--and perhaps interface with them.

The prototypes of the design haven’t yet been outfitted with much memory yet, but the researchers say the capacity is there. That aspect of the material works like a memristor, existing in one of two states at any given time: conductive or resistive. These two states can represent the 1s and 0s of binary computer code, and could someday be used to program the stuff to work inside or on the human body, perhaps in medical monitoring devices or biological sensors.

It’s a pretty cool development, at least for those who think we’re all going to be cyborgs with various machinery augmenting our bodies and optimizing our lives and keeping us healthy at some point in the future. Plus, it has the consistency of Jell-O. I can’t be the only one envisioning a new generation of scrumptious, intelligent desserts.

[NCSU]

4 Comments

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lawsonrw
07/14/11 at 8:11 pm

Didn't Voyager (star trek reference) have neuro-gel packs as part of the main computer?

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jjetrek
07/14/11 at 9:03 pm

Yes I agree treknology is really coming in limelight First there was the first Satellite harness on the International Space Station which NASA called their small city in space. It can cohabitant as many as 15 to 30 people eventually. This new type Satellite can make 18 seconds every hour of anti-matter material This is to help these scientist observe how much dark matter is in Space. What is purpose for this Dark matter? Yes this type electronic memory Jello does resemble very much like neuro-gel packs like on Star Trek- Voyager The only thing the gel packs are much different than this memory jello. I hope this stuff can help our environmental human hazards Like the "BP Oil Spill" last year The did use in some stuff to help clean up and reuse this oil in places you may not believe and it was sold very economical at half price.

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allhaileris
07/17/11 at 6:35 pm

Bio-neural gel packs formed the basis of Voyager's bio-neural circuitry, which is essentially an organic computer system.

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Bio-neural_gel_pack

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alansternik
07/20/11 at 5:02 pm

The Cylons (Battlestar Galactica) link with their ships computers with very similar jello like (but maybe a bit slimier) substance.
Science fact and Science Fiction converge yet again!


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