5D Disk: 360Tb capacity, stability up to 1000*C - Practically unlimited lifetime - Polidicks

[quote]Using nanostructured glass, scientists at the University of Southampton 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. Coined as the 'Superman' memory crystal, as the glass memory has been compared to the "memory crystals" used in the Superman films, the data is recorded via self-assembled nanostructures created in fused quartz, which is able to store vast quantities of data for over a million years. The information encoding is realised in five dimensions: the size and orientation in addition to the three dimensional position of these nanostructures. A 300 kb digital copy of a text file was successfully recorded in 5D using ultrafast laser, producing extremely short and intense pulses of light. The file is written in three layers of nanostructured dots separated by five micrometres (one millionth of a metre). [/quote] [url]http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130709123953.htm[/url] [img]http://images.sciencedaily.com/2013/07/130709123953-large.jpg?1373389667[/img] [I]5D[/I]

This is very touching.

Perfect for my porn.

Wonder what the read/write speeds are for this.

Reminds me of the crystal tech used in Stargate.

How is it 5D?

it's time [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhl9i9CI2-E[/media]

[QUOTE=alien_guy;41381277]How is it 5D?[/QUOTE] [quote] The information encoding is realised in five dimensions: the size and orientation in addition to the three dimensional position of these nanostructures. [/quote]

Sounds amazing, a gigantic leap in pure storage technology if this is true, hopefully the read/write speeds are fast as well, otherwise it'll be pretty awkward.

[quote]360 TB/disc data capacity[/quote] That's a bit ambiguous if we don't know the physical dimensions of a "disc". Could it be fitted within the 3.5" boxes we normally call "disk", or what.

Perfect! When Rome Total War III comes out it'll fit on just 2 disks!

[QUOTE=Within;41381422]That's a bit ambiguous if we don't know the physical dimensions of a "disc". Could it be fitted within the 3.5" boxes we normally call "disk", or what.[/QUOTE] i think its a good assumption they calculated the information density of their experiment, then took that and multiplied it by the standard dimensions of a normal HDD

[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;41381353]Sounds amazing, a gigantic leap in pure storage technology if this is true, hopefully the read/write speeds are fast as well, otherwise it'll be pretty awkward.[/QUOTE] read write speeds are irrelevant for super-longtime storage.

Stick one of those in a highly durable cartridge, and those discs could probably last through some sort of apocalypse and be read by future civilisations once they develop the right mechanisms to read the data. This actually seems like a pattern emerging; the planet is getting worse, whilst technology is advancing to a level where things are becoming more durable and reliable. In the event of societal collapse, either this futuristic tech could get us back on our feet, or they are regarded as advanced artifacts by the inhabitants of the next age. Regardless, it feels like what we leave behind might just last long enough for future civilisations to make use of; all we need now is to invent sorcerous technology that allow people to directly control the elements, and we've become the Precursors.

[QUOTE=areolop;41381137]able to store vast quantities of data for over a million years[/QUOTE] Imagine a finding a time capsule after that amount of time

[QUOTE=The Castro;41381294]it's time [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhl9i9CI2-E[/media][/QUOTE] wish that was longer, even if it was a longer loop

but is it affordable?

Can you write over something?

going by [url=http://www.wisegeek.org/how-big-is-the-internet.htm]Eric Schmidt's estimate of the size of the internet[/url], about five million terabytes, you'd need about 14,000 of these disks to store the entire internet on this physical medium that's a lotta data

[QUOTE=zombojoe;41381166]Perfect for my porn.[/QUOTE] [quote] thermal stability up to 1000°C[/quote] I disagree, what if I die in a fire and they find all my porn, what then huh?

[QUOTE=a dumb bear;41382692]I disagree, what if I die in a fire and they find all my porn, what then huh?[/QUOTE] I want my porn legacy to live on after my death

People are really jumping the gun with read/write speeds and pricing this isn't even a product yet.

[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;41382849]People are really jumping the gun with read/write speeds and pricing this isn't even a product yet.[/QUOTE] Read and write speeds will be what either prevents, or makes this being a product. Nobody wants 350TB at 5kb/s

price and cost effectiveness will make or prevent this being a product i remember a few of these new storage technologies popping up the last few years but they just werent practical and never really went anywhere beyond such a demo

[QUOTE=Flapadar;41382915]Read and write speeds will be what either prevents, or makes this being a product. Nobody wants 350TB at 5kb/s[/QUOTE] But this stuff is likely a decade away so there's no point speculating.

[QUOTE=Flapadar;41382915]Read and write speeds will be what either prevents, or makes this being a product. Nobody wants 350TB at 5kb/s[/QUOTE] I don't know I'm pretty slow at reading anyway..

At the end of the article [quote]The team are now looking for industry partners to commercialise this ground-breaking new technology.[/quote] Probs wont happen for a while

I think you guys are missing the point. This is just a proof of concept, this technology clearly won't be available for a while, but we'll see it become mainstream within our lifetimes for sure

[QUOTE=alien_guy;41381482]read write speeds are irrelevant for super-longtime storage.[/QUOTE] To those disagreeing, he's quite right, archive storage you don't need read/write speeds, and from the sound of things this is one time write, its purpose is for long term backups and archival, not for general use, like tape drives.

[QUOTE=zombojoe;41381166]Perfect for my porn.[/QUOTE] "Hey grand kids, check this shit out!" I'd leave mine in a will. I didn't put all those hours in searching and saving for nothing.