Almost everyone uses flash memory. It is used in digital cameras, USB memory sticks and the Sony Playstation. Since the memory first came out I have always associated the word “flash” with the comic strip hero “Flash Gordon”. Heavens knows why as I have never read the original comic strip (unsurprisingly as it first appeared in 1934), books, or seen the films or other multimedia entertainment products based upon the character. Possibly the association comes from the Queen song “Flash” that came out in 1980 and was the title song of the Flash Gordon film. That song was played interminably on the radio at the time and as with many Queens’ songs is quite memorable.

Anyway, HP have developed a potentially Flash-slaying technology with the rather demonic name the Memristor that, they say, will replace flash as it can scale better than the NAND technology that flash devices currently use. Hence the title “Flash and the Memristor”, will flash overcome the new monster? Can flash save the world? (or at least that part of it that owns the flash patents and earns lots of money from them thank you very much) Tune in next week for the next thrilling instalment.....

Of course, Flash Gordon was famous for his adventures in space battling the evil Ming the Merciless from Mongo (the planet that is), how’s that for 1930’s alliteration!

Another person who made his name in space is the current chancellor of Liverpool’s John Moores University. The chancellor is an Astrophysicist who has written such edifying works as “A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud” and co-wrote with Patrick Moore (the celebrity astronomer) and Chris Lintott (another astrophysicist) “Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe”. That person is, of course, Brian May who is perhaps better known as the lead guitarist in the band Queen.

Now, how is that for coincidence!