Researchers at Hewlett-Packard have developed a working unit of a memory circuit that has existed in theory for 37 years, which could ultimately replace RAM and make computers more intelligent by tracking data it has retained. The technology, called memristor, could allow computers to make decisions by understanding past patterns of data it has collected, similar to human brains collecting and understanding a series of events. For example, a memristor circuit could be capable of telling a microwave the heating time for different food types based on the information it has collected over time, said Stanley Williams, senior fellow at HP.

A memristor circuit requires lower voltage and less time to turn on than competitive memory like DRAM and flash, Williams said. ?Because it [uses] less voltage and less time, of course, it uses much less power,? Williams said. Denser cells also allow memristor circuits to store more data than flash memory. Through prototypes, HP is trying to show circuit designers what memristor is capable of doing. ?What we have done is confirmed a concept for a new electronic device that was originally proposed nearly 40 years ago,? Williams said. Memristor is the fourth fundamental circuit element, joining the other three ? resistor, capacitor and inductor ? that had been known for 150 years, Williams said. The element has properties that cannot be duplicated by any combination of the other three elements.