Memory is one of the mental functions of mental activity inherent in humans. Animals are also endowed with memory, but, unlike humans, their mental process of memorization and reproduction occurs at the reflex level and is assessed by the ability to learn (training). A person's own internal memory is a complex process of the psyche of perception, accumulation, preservation, grouping, retrieval and reproduction of information. Another amazing property of human memory is its ability to remember not only what was seen, heard, perceived tactilely (touch, blow, burn, burning), received through the sense of smell (sweet taste, rancidity, bitterness); but also to store information about thoughts, feelings. The neuroscientist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who conducted experiments on himself, identified another amazing property of human memory - this is the repeated use of information in the field of consciousness for subsequent use. Memory consists of three interconnected sequential processes. The first process is memorization, imprinting, input of new information through all human organs of perception. The basis of this stage, undoubtedly, is attention. The American poet Robert Lowell wrote: "Attention is the material from which memory is made, and memory is the accumulator of human genius." The ability to establish an associative relationship between material and meaning leads to a high-quality memorization process. The process of storing material in a memory structure with simultaneously occurring moments of material processing is called the process of preservation. The third stage of the general process is the reproduction, actualization of memory elements, which can occur voluntarily or without human efforts. The simplest type of the reproductive function of memory is recognition. An additional function of the reproductive process is recollection. Difficulty or loss of the reproductive ability of memory is called forgetting, which is essentially the opposite of memorization. In people with a logical mindset, memory is closely related to thinking. Creative personalities are distinguished by the fact that the process of memorization is based on sensory perception. If the process of reproducing information from memory passes through desire, necessity (remembering a person's surname, formula, rule), then it is associated with will. In these examples, the relationship of human memory with thinking, feelings and will is traced. Memory is a necessary condition of human life. The ancient sages spoke about this, noting that a faithful and active memory doubles life. Memorization, preservation and reproduction of material from memory in order to use it as a personal experience plays the role of a person's own internal memory. The adoption of the life experience of other people through knowledge and skills improves a person and is included in the existing memory. Nature itself took care of man and made his memory selective. The mental process of memory subconsciously filters the incoming informative material, depending on the needs and interests. This property of memory allows you to avoid “overloading.” There is one more important property of memory - erasure. Rapidly arriving visual information is perceived in a combined version and is remembered as a single one. If a person is quickly shown a number, and then a square, then new and old information will overlap, and the person will remember the number squared. Human memory is an instrument of information that he activates depending on situational needs. In the brain, in the cerebral cortex, constantly there is a process of renewal of nerve connections, which, according to academician I.P. Pavlova, is the basis of physiological memory.

Lecture number 4

Let's talk about storing information. Where does a person store information? This is a person's own (biological) memory - internal memory; various means of recording information - paper, magnetic and others - external memory.

All computer devices are interconnected by information transfer channels. From the outside world, information enters the computer through input devices; the received information goes into the internal memory. If its long-term storage is required, then from the internal memory it is transferred to the external memory.

Random access memory is also called RAM (random access memory). ROM is a read-only memory, a battery that stores information about the date, time, and the beginning of the download.

Information processing is carried out by the processor with continuous two-way communication with the internal memory: from there the initial data is extracted, and the processing results are placed there. Information from internal memory can be transmitted to the outside world (to humans or other computers) through output devices.

Program and data concept.

All information circulating between various devices on a computer can be divided into two types: data and programs. To solve any problem, the computer needs to be told the initial data and the program of work. Both the data and the program are presented in a certain form, “understandable” by the computer, are entered into the internal memory of the computer, and then the computer proceeds to the execution of the program, that is, to the solution of the problem. The computer is the formal executor of the program. Any work is performed by a computer according to a program, whether it is solving a mathematical problem, translating text from a foreign language, getting pictures on the screen, playing with the user, etc.

The essence of the principle of programmed computer control is reduced to the following three provisions:

1) any work is performed by a computer according to a program;

2) the executable program is in RAM;

3) the program runs automatically.

Internal (random access) memory properties.

Let's consider the properties of each type of memory.

We should talk about two types of properties: about physical properties and about the principles of information organization.

Physical properties of internal memory:

Is a memory built on electronic elements (microcircuits) that stores information only when power is available; for this reason, the internal memory can be called volatile;

Is fast memory; the time of entering (writing) information into it and retrieving (reading) it is very small - microseconds;

- this memory is small in size (compared to external memory).

Fast volatile internal memory is called random access memory, or RAM - random access memory.

The computer has another type of internal memory - read-only memory (ROM). Its main difference from RAM is non-volatile, that is, when the computer is disconnected from the mains, the information in the ROM does not disappear. In addition, once the information is written in the ROM, it does not change. ROM is read-only memory, while RAM is read-write memory. Usually, ROM is much smaller in size than RAM.

Information structure of internal memory: It is a sequence of binary cells - bits.

The bit structure of the internal memory determines its first property: discreteness. Each bit of memory currently stores one of two values: 0 or 1, that is, one bit of information. During computer operation, these zeros and ones “blink” in the cells.

The second property of internal memory is called addressability. But it is not the bits that are addressed, but the bytes. - 8 consecutive bits of memory. A byte address is its sequence number in memory. Access to information in RAM occurs by addresses: in order to write data to memory, you need to specify in which bytes it should be entered. In the same way, reading from memory is performed by addresses. In this way, the processor communicates with the RAM.

So, the information structure of the internal memory is bit-byte. Its size (volume) is usually expressed in kilobytes, megabytes

Types of external memory (hard and floppy magnetic disks, laser disks, flash memory).

There are three types of storage media used in external storage devices:

- magnetic

- optical.

- flash (stores information in microcircuits)

There are magnetic tapes and magnetic disks. Optical discs are called CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory) - compact disc - read only, CD-R (Compact Disk - recordable) - recordable, CD-RW (Compact Disk - ReWritable) - rewritable.

Physical properties of external memory:

- external memory is non-volatile, that is, information is stored in it regardless of whether the computer is turned on or off, the medium is inserted into the computer or is lying on the table;

- external memory - slow compared to RAM; in order of increasing read / write speed, external memory devices are arranged as follows: magnetic tapes - magnetic disks - optical disks - flash memory;

- the amount of information that fits in the external memory is greater than in the internal one; and taking into account the possibility of changing media - unlimited.

It is necessary to pay attention to the terminology used:

- Tapes, disks are information carriers.

- A computer device that works with magnetic tape, writes and reads information from it, is called a magnetic tape drive (NML). The English name for this device is also used - streamer.

- A magnetic disk reader / writer is called a magnetic disk drive (MRD) or disk drive.

- An optical drive works with optical discs.

RAM

Random access memory (RAM) - random access memory is a fast storage device of not very large size, directly associated with the processor and designed to write, read and store executable programs and data processed by these programs.

The name "random access" memory got because it works very fast, so that the processor does not have to wait while reading data from memory or writing to memory. However, the data it contains is retained as long as the computer is turned on; when the computer is turned off, the contents of the RAM are erased (with some exceptions).

Random access memory (RAM) is a set of cells, and each cell has its own unique binary address (cell numbering starts from zero). Each memory cell has a volume of 1 byte, therefore, the maximum amount of addressable memory for processors is 4,294,967,296 bytes = 4,194,304 KB = 4096 MB = 4 GB.

Cache memory

Cache memory (cache), or cache memory, is a very fast memory of a small size, which is used when exchanging data between the processor and RAM to compensate for the difference in the processing speed of the processor and somewhat slower RAM.

The cache memory is managed by a special device - a controller, which, analyzing the executable program, tries to predict what data and instructions the processor is likely to need in the near future, and rewrites them into the cache memory. Cache memory is realized on chips of static memory SRAM (Static RAM), which are faster, more expensive and low-capacity than DRAM.

Modern microprocessors have built-in cache memory, the so-called first-level cache, with a capacity of 32 to 128 KB. In addition, the system board can have a L2 cache of 512 KB or higher.

Persistent memory

Read Only Memory (ROM) is a non-volatile memory used to store data that will never need to be changed. The content of the memory is specially "sewn up" in the device during its manufacture for permanent storage. Data can only be read from read only memory (ROM).

First of all, a program for controlling the operation of the processor itself is written into the permanent memory. The ROM contains programs for controlling the display, keyboard, printer, external memory, programs for starting and stopping the computer, and testing devices.

Reprogrammable memory

Flash memory is non-volatile memory that can be repeatedly overwritten.

The most important chip of permanent memory, or Flash memory, is the BIOS module. BIOS (Basic Input / output System) is a set of programs designed to automatically test devices after turning on the power of the computer and loading the operating system into RAM.

CMOS memory

CMOS RAM is a memory with low speed and minimum power consumption from the battery. It is used to store information about the configuration and composition of computer hardware, as well as about its operating modes. The CMOS content is modified by a special Setup program located in the BIOS.

External memory of the computer.

Video card

A video card is a board with microcircuits that is used to format the image on the screen. Everything that we see on the monitor screen is created by the process using a video card. The video card contains memory chips that store the created image. The amount of memory of video cards is 128, 256, 512 MB.

Typically, a personal computer uses three-inch floppy disks (size - 3.5 inches, volume - 1.44 MB). There is an arrow on the floppy disk, for the correct insertion of the floppy disk into the drive. There is a plastic latch on the back of the floppy disk that can be used to prevent writing to the floppy disk. To do this, it is enough to click the latch all the way so that a gap appears in its place. The disc is covered with a magnetic layer. The information on the disc is recorded on concentric tracks. Each track is divided into sectors, so the information on the disk is stored in chunks. Each track and each sector is numbered. Information on a floppy disk can be written and rewritten. As a rule, floppy disks are used to exchange information between personal computers and to store archived information. It is now almost out of use.

Winchester

A hard disk drive (hard drive) is designed for fast recording and reading of information. The hard drive stores most of the programs that the user works with, and the user saves the results of his work on the hard drive (programs, texts, tables, etc.). Winchester consists of several magnetic disks hidden in a sealed case. The hard drive case is sealed to keep dust and dirt out.

Writing and reading information from a hard drive, unlike floppy disks, is very fast.

The capacity of the hard drive in the first personal computers was 20 MB, in modern computers - 80, 160,250, 320, 500, 750 GB, 1 TB.

Compact discs

CD-ROM disc can only be read, these discs are made using a conventional stamp and matrix. On the surface of the CD-ROM there are concentric tracks with micro-grooves. Reading information from a CD-ROM disc is carried out using a small laser, therefore CD-ROM discs are also called optical discs. If a sound card is installed on your personal computer, you can play Audio CDs on your personal computer using the CD-ROM drive. Also, many CD-ROM drives have an audio output on the front panel, in which case you can listen to audio CDs without a sound card.

The capacity of the CD-ROM is over 600 MB.

Handle the CD-ROM carefully by the edges to avoid staining the surface of the CD.

Usually, to insert a CD-ROM disc, you must open the drive using the button on its front panel. In this case, the disk substrate will begin to smoothly slide out of the drive. On one side of a CD-ROM, there is usually a title and sometimes a picture. Insert a CD with the title side up. Place the disc on the step exactly in the groove and press the button on the front panel again.

The CD can be cleaned with a dry soft cloth. Do not write on or drop the CD, or heat it or leave it in the sun.

Further development of technologies for the production of compact discs led to the creation of discs with a high recording density - a digital versatile disk Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), the amount of information on a disk is up to 4.7 GB. A further increase in the amount of information is provided by the use of two-layer and three-layer DVDs. The capacity of these media is 30 GB (two-layer) and 45 (three-layer) GB.

A research team at Imperial.College in London is developing an optical disc that can store 1TB of data.

Flash memory

The new type of memory is called Flash memory. Flash memory is a reprogrammable read only memory (EPROM) chip with an unlimited number of rewriting cycles.

Structurally, flash memory is made in the form of a separate unit containing a flash memory chip and a controller for switching to one of the standard computer inputs.

Currently, the amount of flash memory reaches several GB (1,2,4,8), the speed of writing and reading is tens of MB / s.

FLASH modules and cards can be installed directly into motherboard connectors and have the following parameters.

FLASH memory is a volatile storage device. To rewrite information, it is necessary to apply programming voltage (12 V) to a special input of the FLASH-memory, which excludes the possibility of accidental erasure of information.

Flash memory reprogramming can be performed directly from a floppy disk or from a personal computer keyboard with a special controller, or from an external programmer connected from a personal computer.

FLASH memory can be useful both for creating very high-speed, compact, alternative storage devices - "solid-state drives", and for replacing the ROM that stores BIOS programs, allowing you to update and replace these programs with newer versions when upgrading "straight from a floppy disk" personal computer.

Blu-ray discs, flash drives, tape libraries.

The title of this section of any sane person can be confusing, cause a whole storm of emotions and curious assumptions. Indeed, what kind of external human memory can we talk about? It seems that we are not computer mechanisms and there is no way to connect their inherent applications to us. We are creatures, we are intelligent organisms created by nature, but how can we replace or improve such an incomprehensible process as memory? Okay, if you replace the arm with a mechanical prosthesis or grab the manipulator of the robotic tentacle with it. But memory is a completely incomprehensible mechanism for storing information in our head, the mechanism of which has not been studied, so how can we even assume and talk about this ?! But this is only at first glance. There are some nuances that allow relatively crude approaches to significantly affect the effectiveness of such a soft and sensitive process that is constantly functioning in our heads.

First, in general terms, we will deal with the main characteristics and properties of the process of memory functioning, which are known to every person, and we will omit theories about biological processes, because they may ultimately not be applied in any way in the implementation of external memory. So, we all know that our memory has two main forms - short and long. That is, there are things that we can remember for just a few seconds, maximum, minutes, and there are things that we can remember for the rest of our lives. It was experimentally proved that completely different processes and even different parts of the brain are responsible for these two types of memory, which is especially pronounced with some of its damage, when a person is deprived of one or another component. Also, everyone knows that we can not shove into it all that is happening around and often forget some important things.

However, here you can digress a little and recall that you can distinguish another type of memory - absolute, which manifests itself in the so-called regression, when you can recall in general everything that has ever been perceived and felt by any organ. Access to this type of memory is opened during the experience of the ordinary phase; moreover, it is the only way to independently achieve these deep processes and even the easiest way of all known. Since Mindnet also means the ease of entering the exit from the body, then with him this side of the hidden human capabilities of memory can come out.

Returning to memory, remember that sometimes it is required to memorize very important things, but we are not able to fully assimilate them, why we have to use an intermediate language, a kind of external memory too, by storing information in the physical world that surrounds us, through records, sketches, etc. After that, it becomes clear that external memory is not such an abstract concept, although, of course, in the context of Mindnet we are talking about completely different things in this direction. The fact that we constantly have to use the storage of knowledge and information in a stable world of physical space, inevitably imposes significant costs in implementation. For example, how many of your thoughts can you write down in our expressionless language and in a short time?

And now let's pay attention to the properties of computer memory, which, of course, also has certain drawbacks, but also has much more powerful resources in some aspects. For example, thanks to the clear digital language of ones and zeros, it is possible to store any information in amazing detail and, most importantly, very accurately. The incredible number of operations per second allows powerful computer processors to spend literally fractions of a second on this, when the human mind needs hours for the same amount of information, if we mean ordinary memory. Contrary to popular belief that the computer is still far from human memory, which, supposedly, is still far ahead, we can confidently say that this is not the case in reality. Deep, absolute memory, which is available with strong changes in the states of consciousness, does not count. This can be proved with just one question: how long will it take you to memorize a ten-digit number and how long will it take even for your calculator in your mobile phone, already keeping silent about thousands of hertz processors?

Speaking about the unusual properties of computers and their copulation with human processes inside the head, one might think that the technology of embedding chips in the head looks the most natural, the topic of which is so actively protested in all kinds of science fiction novels and even sometimes has an experimental place in reality. Of course, the implantation of chips can be useful for some purpose, but for some reason I don't really want to be the carrier of this device. Moreover, in the context of Mindnet, we are talking about a completely different type of external memory. In general, if you imagined it in the same way as it happens with a computer, when you insert a jet-flash into the USB port and transfer knowledge there, and then, when necessary, you insert it again and upload it to yourself or to another, then you were wrong. All processes can take place at a much more humane level.

In fact, external memory will be a natural consequence of the existence of full-fledged MindNet technologies. There is nothing supernatural and unexpected in this. If it is possible to read information, as well as to impose it, then it will be possible to store it. Exaggerated, the whole process will take place according to the following algorithm: internal creation of information that must be saved, which can be both in the form of an object and in the form of a written cipher; then reading the perception of this object and translating this data into the notorious zeroes and ones in order to save - that's all. Then, if necessary, the actions take place in the reverse order. In addition, permanent backup of experiences is possible, because this is a common process for computers, so it will be possible to use such an advantage of this technology. We can say that if Mindnet exists, then external memory will exist in this form, since without the properties necessary for it, there can be no most complete (pro) Mindnet. With light Mindnet, this feature is completely excluded.

If we briefly touch on the properties of this particular manifestation of the interaction of these technologies, then we can highlight several main points. First, only that which has full characteristics from the point of view of perception can be memorized. In another way, as it is now seen, it is simply not possible, because we are not talking about reading thoughts, but about the signals that we receive during contact with this or that object. These signals can be read and converted into digital form, and then stored. From which it follows that the memorized information should have a physical appearance in terms of perception. In turn, this already leads to the conclusion that not everything can be subjected to such total preservation in all details, down to the smallest characteristics. True, those nuances that are implied and do not have an appearance, in view of the fact that they are properties, why they also cannot be read, can only be stored in an "empty" form. However, when such a limited form is imposed, their properties can independently arise even in another person, in view of the "finishing" possibility of the phase.

It may seem that the information stored may rarely be in the form of a specific object. In fact, this is not the case. Our thinking does not operate with words and letters, as an impression is formed, but uses exclusively the figurative form of reasoning and memorization. That is why we are faced with difficulties translating both for others and for ourselves these multidimensional images into words that can with great difficulty characterize precise definitions. Languages ​​were created for communication between people, and not for using them in relation to ourselves, which gave rise to an internal dialogue, which finally suppressed the connection with subconscious resources, including with intuition, since it taught us to fully understand internal urges and signals in the form of images.

The question may arise, how can these images be turned into a physical object in a lucid dream? it is not at all difficult to answer this question if you have at least a small idea of ​​its properties. In it, not only the image of a specific object, but even an entire space can take on a physical form. The author of this book has conducted quite a lot of experiments in this direction and can declare with responsibility that this is really so. Of course, there are separate techniques and rules inherent in this, but it is possible. Due to the fact that Mindnet does not exist yet, to test the memory, one had to use one's subconscious resources, which also successfully coped with the tasks, even if the object was changed many times before "sending" it to memory for some time.

As for the specific physical properties of memorized objects, they can be in all possible planes in which only our senses can perceive something. Starting from the gross physical form of the most diverse types, ending only with sound, which in this case is a completely physical object, although it will be quite difficult to count it from the current state of affairs.

Also, the object will retain its properties if they were predefined and existed, which is also important. However, this is possible only if, when reading information about the functions of the object, there was full information about them, and not just the knowledge of the person inside whom everything is happening.

As always, any reasonable person should first of all think about how much all this is needed, how it can be applied and what to do about it. If he is really reasonable, then very quickly he can guess for himself how effective it is in solving many problems and in improving a number of critical processes. Again, we can confidently say that, purely in theory, this can affect everything in general that can only be touched. However, such a total distribution of MindNet should not be expected, therefore, only a few basic applications can become widespread, at least at first.

All these applications come from one thing - the need to remember information, which can be both complex and instantaneous in its manifestation.

First, it is the storage of information in the form of a specific object, when it is a direct object of conservation, and when this object simply takes the form of an image. This will find wide application wherever creative work takes place and it is required to create layouts, diagrams, templates (for architects, designers, engineers, cultural figures) and directly products, for example, design for the very world of Mindnet or the Internet. As a result, Mindnet will not only allow you to effortlessly reproduce certain images in the form in which they really exist without the distortions caused by translating them into a physical image, as is the case in everyday reality, but will also allow you to easily manipulate all the characteristics and change them into one direction or another, saving all actions and even canceling them.

Secondly, it is the storage of standard data in any form in which they only can be. Numbers, codes, ciphers, languages ​​- it doesn't matter. Moreover, it also does not matter how such data appear before our perception in a lucid dream. that is, we can see them written on paper, we can on the monitor screen, we can in any other form in which we can make out the meaning or reproduce it in some way, that is, it can even be a storage of information in the usual form of memory cards or even computers. The fact is that when operating digital languages ​​in this state, it will not necessarily be guided by their usual appearance on a two-dimensional monitor screen, due to the fact that there is a multidimensional world, and it will require completely different software, in which standard PC functions can significantly mutate.

With regard to the use and storage of information, then here you can present several examples, the essence of the action of which allows you to understand the scale of the rationality of such a phenomenon. For example, during a Mindnet meeting or presentation, it is necessary to reproduce the project of a house under construction, which has been created by a group of architects and engineers for a certain period of time. Unlike the usual presentation methods, the best view of which is currently multimedia, limited in two-dimensional planes, the mindnet presentation will not only allow you to easily reproduce the created model of the house in full size and in such a form as if it has already been built, but also will allow the participants of the meeting go through it and consider everything in detail, clearly identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the project, being in their own offices or even at home.

This property can be useful in all possible cases of information storage. For example, if you need to save passwords, the problem of which is increasing with the spread of any global network, when the issue of saving information about a user becomes more and more painful, then this can be done in a very convenient, unlike the present time, way. You can save them in the most acceptable form for perception (inscription on paper or something else, an object that can remind them, and much more).

Another example, if an accountant during the same Mindnet meeting needs, for example, to submit a quarterly report to his boss, then for this it will be possible to use any form, starting from ancient sheets of paper report forms and ending with a pleasant-looking label in the form of any item that will automatically have a connection with data attached to it in a computer program. The question may arise that all this does not make sense, since even now you can transfer a disc or simply send it by e-mail, however, we are talking about a Mindnet meeting, which could take place provided that all those gathered are located in remote locations, and the direct transfer of information from hand to hand can allow you to operate it at the moment.

Even at a superficial glance, it is clear that this feature of the existence of Mindnet not only represents many useful forms of application in various areas of human life, but in itself is very interesting and curious. Since the properties of external memory will greatly increase the resources of memorized information, making it possible to often store it in its natural form, regardless of scale, this moves the productivity of a person's thinking to a different level, which is very interesting in this situation, since Mindnet also implies many other extraordinary useful properties. And if this all exists together, then what progress can be achieved using all these opportunities at once ?!

One can think of an actual partial transition of humanity to a different level of existence, to a different world with different possibilities for physical existence outside of it. It seems that the real world, real forest, real sun and real water will not be replaced by anything, since it is the most natural and necessary, but even now the most advanced part of humanity can hardly imagine its existence without computer technology and capabilities. Mindnet will allow you to multiply them. However, following the rule of nature to have measure in everything even at the unconscious level and following the structure of social existence, when, with the best outcome, such technologies will not be available to everyone on this planet - nothing bad will happen to humanity and it will always understand the value of everyday reality and another, no matter what world it is in and no matter what amazing properties it possesses.

There are a myriad of reasons why Mindnet should exist that more than justify it. However, the external memory of a person is one of those facets, thanks to one of which Mindnet already fully justifies both its existence and the efforts expended on it. Only one it can give so many possibilities for application that it is simply impossible to cover all the nuances of this moment at once.

Such a possibility of rationalizing human thinking through a manifold increase in memory resources and reproduction of its contents, humanity may look like a kind of symbiosis of a living being and computer technologies, which does not fit any of the currently existing definitions. It seems to be not a semi-robot and not a robot, moreover, not a cyborg, and nothing else. Indeed, in this state, there is no direct fusion of living flesh and inanimate technologies, only their interaction occurs, which in no way affects human health, except for possible problems with the very existence of the Mindnet system, when the methods of reading and imposing information may have certain disadvantages, which should there will be methods of counteraction.

It may seem to someone that this can lead to the degradation of humanity as a completely autonomous being, whose life and functional abilities are independent of any external technologies. But it does not seem possible that, firstly, a person can completely break away from the physical world, which supports his existence at the proper level, and, secondly, on the contrary, Mindnet itself can lead to the evolution of human consciousness. This side of it can especially strongly affect this, because our idea of ​​our own capabilities is based, for the most part, on memory resources, and if we proceed from this opinion, it turns out that the capabilities of our thinking can be multiplied many times over. It is not possible to consider this degradation from any reasonable point of view.

The boundaries of our possibilities will be destroyed and will go so far that it is now difficult to determine even their approximate future boundary, which is so distant and vague that it seems non-existent. External memory is what a reasonable person dreams of and Mindnet will allow such a dream to come true. In addition, it allows us to open before us completely different possibilities in reproducing memory, its full compliance in implementation with our internal ideas, which is important, because the resources of standard memory are high, but it is very difficult to extract information from there without distortion, but for whom - then this process is practically not given at all. Therefore, Mindnet will not only give new memory, but will also allow us to radically change the ineffective use inherent in us by nature.

§ 5. Storage of information

Working and long-term memory

Each person stores certain information in his own memory - "in the mind." You remember your home address, names, addresses and phone numbers of close relatives and friends. Addition and multiplication tables, basic spelling and other knowledge gained at school are stored in your memory. Own ( internal) a person's memory can be called operational because the information it contains is reproduced quickly enough. But a person is so arranged that he cannot store large volumes of information in his own memory for a long time: if you do not consolidate knowledge with constant exercises, the information is very quickly forgotten. To avoid this, we use notebooks, reference books, encyclopedias and other media - external memory... This memory can be called long-term.

At different times, the carriers of information were: stone, parchment, papyrus and other materials, as well as products from them.

From ancient times to the present, paper remains one of the main carriers of information.

The properties of paper as an information carrier are truly unique:

• the technology for making paper is quite simple and inexpensive;
• even thin paper is strong and durable;
• paper is very convenient for applying signs and drawings on it using multi-colored paints.

You can find out a lot of interesting information about information carriers by getting acquainted with the materials of the electronic supplement to the textbook.

In order for information to become the property of many people and can be passed on to future generations, it must be preserved. Memory is the very first tool for storing information.

There is the memory of the individual and the memory of humanity. The memory of humanity, in contrast to the memory of an individual person, contains all the knowledge that people have accumulated during their existence and that people living today can use. This knowledge is presented in books, captured in paintings, sculptures and architectural works of great masters.

Invented in 1839, photography made it possible to preserve human faces, landscapes, natural phenomena and other visible evidence of times gone by for posterity.

Man has learned to store sound information as well. At first, its preservation was ensured by the transmission "from mouth to mouth" (for example, melodies), later - by recording notes. In 1877, the first device for recording and reproducing sound, the phonograph, was created.

In 1895, the world's first motion picture was shown in Paris. Since then, humanity has been able to preserve images embodied in movement (dance, gestures, pantomime, etc.).

A modern computer can store various types of information in its memory: textual, graphic, numerical, audio and video information.

For more information on how information was stored in the past, see the electronic appendix to the tutorial.

Working and long-term memory

Each person stores certain information in his own memory - "in the mind." You remember your home address, names, addresses and phone numbers of close relatives and friends. Addition and multiplication tables, basic spelling and other knowledge gained at school are stored in your memory. A person's own (internal) memory can be called operational, because the information it contains is reproduced quickly enough. But a person is so arranged that he cannot store large volumes of information in his own memory for a long time: if you do not consolidate knowledge with constant exercises, the information is very quickly forgotten. To avoid this, we use notebooks, reference books, encyclopedias and other storage media - external memory. This memory can be called long-term.

At different times, the carriers of information were: stone, parchment, papyrus and other materials, as well as products from them.

From ancient times to the present, paper remains one of the main carriers of information.

The properties of paper as an information carrier are truly unique:

• the technology for making paper is quite simple and inexpensive;
• even thin paper is strong and durable;
• paper is very convenient for applying signs and drawings on it using multi-colored paints.

You can find out a lot of interesting information about information carriers by getting acquainted with the materials of the electronic supplement to the textbook.

Files and folders

Programs and data are stored on non-volatile memory devices as files. The content of the file can be text, program, table, picture, statement, etc.

The file name usually consists of two parts: the actual name and the extension. The actual name of the file is invented by the person who creates it. It is recommended to do this sensibly, reflecting the content of the file in the name. The file name can be up to 255 characters; it can use letters of the Latin and Russian alphabets, spaces and almost all other characters available on the keyboard.

The extension is usually automatically set by the program in which you are working. It tells the user and the computer what type of information is stored in the file and what program this file was created by. The extension almost always consists of three letters of the Latin alphabet. The extension is separated from the name by a period.

For example, the name of the file schedule.txt indicates that the file may contain text information about the schedule.

Check what rules for naming files you need to adhere to in the operating system installed on your computer.

Each computer storage medium can store a huge number of files - tens and even hundreds of thousands. To avoid confusion, files are grouped into folders according to certain criteria.

Each file is stored in a folder or in a subfolder (a folder located within a folder). For example, suppose several games are recorded on the hard disk of your computer. The game is a collection of files. Each game is stored in a separate folder, while all folders with games for convenience can be nested in one common folder named "Games".

The file storage system is similar to storing a large number of books in a library (Figure 13).

Rice. thirteen

A folder has been created for each of you on your hard disk, where files with your texts and pictures will be stored.

You can get a lot of useful information from the video lecture "Files and folders", posted in the Unified collection of digital educational resources (sc.edu.ru).

The most important thing

There is the memory of the individual and the memory of humanity. Human memory can be called operational, because the information it contains is reproduced quickly enough. Notebooks, reference books, encyclopedias and other external storage of information can be called long-term memory.

An information carrier is any material object used to store information on it.

A file is information stored in the external memory of a computer as a whole and indicated by a name. The name of the file is invented by the person who creates it.

To avoid confusion, files are grouped into folders according to certain criteria.

Questions and tasks

1. What properties does human memory possess?
2. What is the difference between human memory and human memory?
3. Why can the information that we remember by heart be called operational? Give examples of operational information that you own.
4. What information do you keep in your notebook? What can you call a notebook in terms of storing information?
5. List the advantages and disadvantages of storing information in operative and long-term memory.
6. Explain in your own words what a storage medium is. What media are you aware of? What media do you use most often?
7. In the Unified Collection of Digital Educational Resources (sc.edu.ru), find the simulator "Determination of the information carrier" (student's option). Perform training exercises.
8. In the following examples, indicate the information medium and presentation of the information:
   a) a plate with a house number;
   b) postcard;
   c) train ticket;
   d) newspaper;
   e) a disc with a collection of cartoons.
9. What is a file?
10. What file naming rules do you know?
11. Compare the storage of files in a computer and books in the library.

Computer workshop

Work 3 "Create and save files"