# Create a Python program with the following code: #!/usr/bin/env python
# a pirate's favorite chemical element
a = ""
while 1: a += "ARGON"
This program will fill memory with copies of the word “ARGON”.
# Run the sync command to flush any cached data to the hard disk.
# Start the Python program, and allow it to run for several minutes. It won’t display anything on the screen, but after a while you should see hard drive activity as the memory fills and data gets swapped to disk.
# Deliberately crash the system by turning the power off and on again or briefly removing the battery and power cord.
# After the system reboots, look for the “ARGON” pattern in memory. You can use the following command to print strings of text contained in RAM:
sudo strings /dev/mem | less
If you see copies of the string “ARGON”, some of the contents of memory survived the reboot.
http://citp.princeton.edu/memory/exp/