Scientists have developed 5D Discs that can store up to 360TB of data and will last far longer than our own sun…
Worried about losing those priceless family photos or home videos? Fear not, researchers at the University of Southampton’s Optical Research Center (ORC) announced yesterday that they’ve perfected a technique that can record data in 5 dimensions (5D Discs) and keep it safe for billions of years.
The science behind these discs are quite mind blowing. The capturing method etches data into a thermally stable disc using femtosecond laser bursts. The storage medium itself holds up to 360 TB per disc, can withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees C and are estimated to last up to 13.8 billion years at room temperature without degrading!
The researchers demonstrated the technology back in 2013 though, at that point, they could only fit a 300kb test file onto a disc. In the three years since their first demonstration, they’ve essentially perfected the recording technique and have since recorded the entirety of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Newton’s Opticks, Magna Carta and Kings James Bible.
Professor Peter Kazansky form the ORC stated – “It is thrilling to think that we have created the technology to preserve documents and information and store it in space for future generations. This technology can secure the last evidence of our civilisation: all we’ve learnt will not be forgotten.”
Source: Engadget
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