"Data expands to fill the space available for storage"; buying more
memory encourages the use of more memory-intensive techniques. (The
original 1958 Parkinson's Law described the structural tendency of
bureaucracies to make work for themselves.) It has been observed
since the mid-1980s that the memory usage of evolving systems tends
to double roughly once every 18 months. Fortunately, memory density
available for constant dollars also tends to about double once every
18 months (see {Moore's Law}); unfortunately, the laws of physics
guarantee that the latter cannot continue indefinitely.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {Moore's Law}]