‘Superman’ crystal memory could outlast civilization

Lady Fitzgerald · 20 Jul 2013

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. :)

That is a perfect example of what can happen if data on old media isn't transferred to new media in a timely manner. Usually, the biggest obstacles to media being updated as older media becomes obsolete are excessively restrictive copyright laws (especially the DMCA) and people just not caring.

Since the Library of Congress is supposed to have a copy of everything that has been published, it would be the logical entity to ensure the media of all data is kept updated. It would take only minor changes to current laws to ensure that happens but, sadly, it may never happen in our time due to the greed of publishing companies.

MilesAhead · 20 Jul 2013

Unfortunately with the jazz, the main reason is they don't think the CD will produce enough profit. Some of the overlooked albums are very high quality too. Sadly often times the ignored album is finally released on CD because the artist dies. That always seems to boost sales projections.

Lady Fitzgerald · 20 Jul 2013

MilesAhead said:

Unfortunately with the jazz, the main reason is they don't think the CD will produce enough profit. Some of the overlooked albums are very high quality too. Sadly often times the ignored album is finally released on CD because the artist dies. That always seems to boost sales projections.

Like I said, greed.

Borg 386 · 20 Jul 2013

I read an article a couple years back stating that if you plan on stashing a "time capsule" not to include any information on present day technology, as in the future they may be unable to access it. Which makes some sense when you consider that at one point floppy disks were the preferred medium. Even now, optical media is on it's way out since the advent of cheap & spacious Flash Drives.

However, I would think if they dug something up & it had some outdated tech, couldn't they just take it to a museum & hook it up to something that could run it? Of course, a 100 years from now, it's hard to say if they would have anything like a floppy drive that would still work.

sygnus21 · 20 Jul 2013

MilesAhead said:

Unfortunately with the jazz, the main reason is they don't think the CD will produce enough profit. Some of the overlooked albums are very high quality too. Sadly often times the ignored album is finally released on CD because the artist dies. That always seems to boost sales projections.

Give me an example of an album or albums you're looking for not on CD?

While it is true a lot of albums haven't made it, a lot of them are some of the more obscure ones in the overall scheme of things; meaning that while you and I may love a particular album, in the overall scheme of things it didn't do that well. As I said I collect, so I try to keep an eye out for these things.

Anyway more and more stuff is making it to CD; so what you couldn't find yesterday, you may find today. And as I said, Japan is a great place to start looking for hard to find CD's, so is Europe.

MilesAhead · 20 Jul 2013

Just think of a reel of film. If it held up well physically people in the future would hold it up to the light and say "hmmm." If you included instructions to run it in front of a light the flickered 30 times a second etc.. the people reading the directions would probably just laugh(if they understood the language at all that is.) :)

MilesAhead · 20 Jul 2013

Give me an example of an album or albums you're looking for not on CD?

Not a "great" album but it's a good example since it wasn't published on CD until after Freddie Hubbard died:
High Energy

Granted more of a soundtrack sounding instrumental album rather than improvisation. But I liked some of the tunes quite a bit. They promoted day-dreaming to my mind. Like you could image the movie it would be a soundtrack for.. if that makes sense.

sygnus21 · 20 Jul 2013

MilesAhead said:

Give me an example of an album or albums you're looking for not on CD?

Not a "great" album but it's a good example since it wasn't published on CD until after Freddie Hubbard died:
High Energy

Granted more of a soundtrack sounding instrumental album rather than improvisation. But I liked some of the tunes quite a bit. They promoted day-dreaming to my mind. Like you could image the movie it would be a soundtrack for.. if that makes sense.

You just confirmed what I said... if the album wasn't that great to begin with, then there was no rush to put it on CD. The fact that it was released after his death doesn't really say much in this instance.

BTW they're finally releasing an album of his I was looking forward to... Ride Like The Wind: Amazon.com: Ride Like the Wind: Freddie Hubbard: Music. I have the album, just want to CD as well.

Anyway we're getting way off topic.

Bertison · 21 Jul 2013

I feel some pride in the fact that this was a technology created in the UK, we really do not praise and/or reward our scientists and engineers enough here. Footballers and media stars, earning stupidly high wages, get too much attention in the UK.

I would like to add to the media storage debate though. I am 68 years of age and have always had wide tastes in music, from 50's and 60's rock, through to Country and Classical. I began building a vinyl collection in 78's, 45's and LP records, before deciding at an early age that they would wear, so I saved and bought a second hand open reel tape recorder. When cassettes came out, I used them to safely record my precious vinyl and repeated that with CD's. The result is that around 90% of my hundreds of vinyl records have not been actually played more than 3 or 4 times, some only once. The collection has moved with me through 6 homes and some around the world during my army service. I have therefore formed what might be seen as an irrational attachment to them and will not be able to let them go, even though I am gradually transferring them to DVD and other electronic storage.

Many are "deleted recordings" and I know for sure that a few no longer have surviving masters. So I may be in the position of possessing rare records for which there may be no other copies. Makes no difference: my son can sell them when I fall from my perch, but for now they are my old friends.

The recordings which did not make it to another form, are an example of Market Forces: if there was enough demand, someone would create a supply and make money out of the process.

However, a real technological advance for me, would be one of those crystals and a method of recording all my vinyl to it in a few minutes, with limited hassle!

Lady Fitzgerald · 21 Jul 2013

Bertison said:

I feel some pride in the fact that this was a technology created in the UK, we really do not praise and/or reward our scientists and engineers enough here. Footballers and media stars, earning stupidly high wages, get too much attention in the UK...

Sadly, it's the same way over on my side of the pond.