RS-232 and other forms of grief [fiction]
A fictional short story explores themes of loss and technological obsolescence through the lens of RS-232, a vintage serial port standard, reflecting on how outdated connections and grief intertwine.
Background
This is a work of fiction published by Nature. It uses the obsolete RS-232 serial port standard as a metaphor for grief, loss, and the strange persistence of old technology. RS-232 was a common connector standard for computer peripherals (mice, modems, printers) from the 1970s through the 1990s, with distinctive D-shaped 9- or 25-pin plugs that modern readers may barely recognise. The story's title and imagery riff on the physical and emotional experience of "grief" as something that once connected people, now outdated and hard to interface with—much like the old serial ports that have been replaced by USB and wireless connections.