From the floppy disks of the ’90s to USB sticks and up to the „cloud,” humanity has continuously changed storage media. However, the issue remains the same: nothing lasts forever. Hard disks fail, magnetic tapes degrade, and data must be constantly moved to new equipment.
Now, a team of researchers claims, according to Euronews, that they have found a solution that could potentially outlast civilization itself: storing data in glass using a laser.
A Technology Promising 10,000 Years of Durability
Experts from Microsoft in Cambridge, United Kingdom, have developed a system that utilizes an extremely precise laser to "write" data into a piece of glass.
Unlike traditional servers relying on hard disks that need periodic replacement, this method could preserve information for over 10,000 years without the need for constant copying or migration.
Researchers suggest that this method could be used for archiving humanity's most important data: scientific works, historical documents, or essential information for future generations.
How Does "Writing" in Glass Work
The system converts digital data – bits – into groups of symbols, which are then inscribed into glass as microscopic deformations called "voxels."
The laser operates at a frequency of 10 MHz, emitting 10 million pulses per second. Each pulse creates a voxel. Thus, data is inscribed at the maximum speed of the laser's repetition, up to 10 million voxels per second.
Subsequently, the information can be read by scanning the glass with an automated microscope equipped with a camera.
Huge Capacity in a Tiny Space
By adjusting the focal depth, the laser can write in hundreds of different layers, stacked within the mere 2-millimeter thickness of the glass.
The result is impressive: a single 2mm-thick piece of glass can store 4.84 terabytes of data - equivalent to approximately two million books.
The project, known as Project Silica, was featured in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.
Why This Discovery Matters
In a world where data is growing exponentially, and data centers consume increasingly more energy, the idea of an ultra-durable and stable storage solution becomes more appealing.
If the technology can be scaled and implemented on a large scale, it could radically change how humanity's essential information is archived.
From fragile disks to almost eternal glass - the technological leap seems straight out of science fiction, but researchers say it is already a reality.
G.P.