Exosomatic memory is the recording ofmemories outside the brain. The earliest forms ofsymbolic behavior—scratching marks on bones—seem to be intended as exosomatic memory. However it was the invention ofwriting that allowed complex memories to be recorded.
A more narrow meaning of exosomatic memory is a computerizedinformation system that interfaces directly with the brain and functions as an extension of the user memory. Such systems have been used as plot devices in numerousscience fiction stories, especially among thecyberpunk genre. More recently, as scientific knowledge of neurology improves, some such as Gregory B. Newby[1] are suggesting that such a device may be possible.
