‘Superman’ crystal memory could outlast civilization

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    ‘Superman’ crystal memory could outlast civilization


    Posted: 19 Jul 2013
    Using nanostructured glass, scientists at the University of Southampton in the UK have, for the first time, experimentally demonstrated the recording and retrieval processes of five dimensional digital data by femtosecond laser writing.

    The storage allows unprecedented parameters including 360 TB/disc data capacity, thermal stability up to 1000°C and practically unlimited lifetime.

    The memory crystal is an incredibly advanced form of computer memory.

    It can store digital information across five dimensions: the three dimensions of space, and two extra dimensions (polarization and intensity) facilitated by crystal lattice.

    The statistics regarding the ‘5D memory solution’ are incredible.
    Read more at: ‘Superman’ crystal memory could outlast civilization | ZDNet
    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    19 Jul 2013



  1. Posts : 5,092
    Windows 7 32 bit
       #1

    Heh heh. Although the information may not deteriorate in the medium, when they say the info will last so many zillions of years without any information loss, they don't take into account that civilization will forget how to access the information. In other words, when this technology becomes obsolete nobody will even want to recreate a mechanism to retreive the info unless there's some human readable description of information that's so valuable it would justify doing so. Perhaps a map showing how to plot the location of an asteroid that's super mineral rich or something. And only by recreating the crystal reader gadget can you use a program that calculates the asteroid's path etc..

    When everyone forgets how to read the crystal, the information loss will be 100%.
    When you drag a needle on a 33 1/3 RPM record, you get some sound. So it might be sort of self-evident how to get the "information" out of The Clancy Brothers album. But accessing some hundred year old crystal technology may not be intuitive.
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  2. Posts : 7,683
    Windows 10 Pro
       #2

    I disagree. I believe there will always be tech out there that will be able to read the digital information of the past; just as there are linguists who can decipher the hieroglyphs of the past.

    Let's not forget technology builds on itself. That also means there is or could be backwards compatibility somewhere in the chain. That even if its many chains back somewhere there will be records on how to retrieve/use old technology of the past.

    My two cents.
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  3. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #3

    I can see the folks at N.S.A. and the I.R.S. getting a woody over this technology.
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  4. Posts : 24,479
    Windows 7 Ultimate X64 SP1
       #4

    The Eloi forgot what books were.
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  5. Posts : 1,810
    Dual Boot: Windows 8.1 & Server 2012r2 VMs: Kali Linux, Backbox, Matriux, Windows 8.1
       #5

    So when is this available for my PC? chop chop
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  6. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #6

    If this technology can be perfected and made cost effective, it will probably be in use for quite some time. Even when the technology is finally replaced by something better, the data will be lost only if it isn't transferred from the old technology to the new technology before devices that can read the old technology are no longer available.
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  7. Posts : 5,092
    Windows 7 32 bit
       #7

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    If this technology can be perfected and made cost effective, it will probably be in use for quite some time. Even when the technology is finally replaced by something better, the data will be lost only if it isn't transferred from the old technology to the new technology before devices that can read the old technology are no longer available.
    Lots of very good jazz albums never made it from vinyl to CD. And that's only a few years in. The only thing keeping vinyl alive is the DJ scratching fad.. and maybe a few audio purists. Will anyone be able to play an audio cassett 1000 years from now? They'll probably wonder why there's no glue on the tape. Doesn't even stick to anything. :)
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  8. Posts : 7,683
    Windows 10 Pro
       #8

    MilesAhead said:
    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    If this technology can be perfected and made cost effective, it will probably be in use for quite some time. Even when the technology is finally replaced by something better, the data will be lost only if it isn't transferred from the old technology to the new technology before devices that can read the old technology are no longer available.
    Lots of very good jazz albums never made it from vinyl to CD. And that's only a few years in. The only thing keeping vinyl alive is the DJ scratching fad.. and maybe a few audio purists. Will anyone be able to play an audio cassett 1000 years from now? They'll probably wonder why there's no glue on the tape. Doesn't even stick to anything. :)
    Well as a collector I have plenty of albums (vinyl), and also a large number of cassettes that I recorded from my albums years ago. I don't play them anymore as I have my tape deck packed away, but I still play my albums all the time.

    And yes, it's a shame a lot of stuff still hasn't made it to CD yet, especially a lot of jazz albums. However a good place to look and see what's made it to albums is Japan.

    Anyway I'm betting they'll still be someone collecting and playing albums 100 years from now
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  9. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #9

    Britton30 said:
    The Eloi forgot what books were.
    Books; I heard tell of them. They just might catch on some day.
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