[azeirah]

You can store information with basically any object.

You can count in binary using your fingers ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

You could use pine needles to count.

You could do steganography in knitting.

You could encode information in the dust collecting behind your tv furniture...

[harhargange]

Totally agree. Mechanical Memory is everywhere. I don't intend to show this paper as a breakthrough, but the interesting thing here is that the memory stored is 'analog', 'scale independent' (Can be shrunk down), and also re-writable. This is not too different from a Compact Disc and we wrote this paper as we thought its an interesting observation. Besides this system is closer to biological systems than memory storing devices. I don't agree with the news article title as we don't present a working device. There are advantages with memory devices independent of 'electrons' as they can't be affected by electromagnetic fields which is why Discs are still in use for storing data across decades. 'Kitchen sponges can be used for storing memory' kinda would have been more accurate.