In most computers bits of data are stored in one place and processed in another. Now German physicists have proposed a new magnetic approach to computing in which the same element can store and process data.

They say that their “programmable logic element” could, in principle, operate as any one of four different logic operations — AND, OR, NAND or NOR gates — and lead to increased computational efficiency (A Ney et al. 2003 Nature 425 485).