12.8 Petabytes, You Say?

MadUndergrad writes "Dr. Jonathan Spanier from Drexel University has come up with a novel way to greatly increase data storage density: water. Specifically, they propose using hydroxyl ions to stabilize minute ferroelectric wires. These wires could be many times smaller than what is possible today, enabling data densities in the neighborhood of 12-13 PB per cubic centimeter. While there are still many problems to be resolved before drives using these can be manufactured this technology does seem promising. For one thing, it would be non-volatile, but could apparently be made to act as RAM. The fact that this is coming out of a university gives me hope that this technology won't turn out to be just so much vapor."

Comments

Bah

[Anonymous Coward]

To me this idea sounds a little wet.

Re:Bah

[Pollardito]

your objections don't hold water, stop trying to rain on their parade

Oblig. Dexter's Laboratory Joke:

[TripMaster Monkey]

A physics professor and his assistant are working on liberating negatively charged hydroxyl ions, when all of a sudden, the assistant says, "Wait, Professor! What if the salicylic acids do not accept the hydroxyl ions?" And the professor responds, "That's no hydroxyl ion! That's my wife!"

Temperature issues?

[BenJeremy]

I did not read the article, but I would imagine the usage would be limited by temperature ranges, for that matter, even simple exposure of the components.

Imagine a device with this technology submitted to freezing temperatures?

Re:Temperature issues?

[Spy der Mann]

Good point, but they're dealing with water at the nanoscale level. In this scale, water molecules act like glue. Besides, after reading another article on water running thru nanotubes below the freezing temperature, I think it's not possible for so water to form ice at the nanoscale.

Backup safety?

[pryonic]

It'd be pretty annoying if you came back from a run/heavy night's drinking (delete as suits you) and accidentally drank the backup of all your MP3s and pr0n to rehydrate you...

DMHO is deadly!

[spun]

I can't believe they would be so irresponsible as to use dihydrogen monoxide for data storage. That stuff is deadly!

What's that smell?

[isomeme]

this technology won't turn out to be just so much vapor.

Until the heat sink fails.

Misplaced Optimism

[ZombieRoboNinja]

"The fact that this is coming out of a university gives me hope that this technology won't turn out to be just so much vapor."

Um... the fact that this is coming from a university suggests to ME that it might be highly impractical, but of some academic interest.

I mean, "university" may rank above "wacky fly-by-night startup looking to fleece investors" on the ol' Trust-o-meter, but the fact that a few academics are studying something certainly doesn't mean it's even potentially viable as a commercial product.

Re:Misplaced Optimism

[NetDanzr]

Um... the fact that this is coming from a university suggests to ME that it might be highly impractical, but of some academic interest.

I fully agree. Having spent the last two years working in a business incubator associated with a major research university, I found the following life cycle of new technologies to be true in 95% of cases:

1. Invent something, file an invention disclosure with the university and ask for patenting the idea.
2. File for all grants you can get.
3. Once you run out of grants, declare your intention to commercialize the technology.
4. Secure some start-up funding, primarily in the form of SBIR/STTR grants and angel funding.
5. Once funding is received, declare that the technology is not yet ready and go back to the lab to write more papers on your technology.
6. Repeat and rinse.

I've seen some really ground-breaking technologies in action. One was proven to decrease the level of emissions by 95%. Another promised to replace current heat sinks with a new design that would eliminate computer fans. Yet another has been around since the 1950s; the lead researcher has invented when he was a grad student. Unfortunately, most researchers at the school I was working at were aware of the fact that in the long term having a technology to work on for another decade or more was more lucrative than starting a company and ending with a miniscule ownership share after venture financing.

Vaporware?

[jmcharry]

Prof. Jonathan Spanier is in Materials Engineering, so I would bet this is a lab demonstration of an effect that might be developed into a technology, not something likely to appear on store shelves in a year or two. Still, it is an important first step in that direction.

Overheard at Drexel University Lab Party

[Billosaur]

Best tasting mineral water I've ever had! Has a funny aftertaste though...

University

[linuxwrangler]

The fact that this is coming out of a university gives me hope that this technology won't turn out to be just so much vapor.

Like Pons & Fleishman's cold fusion? Like the recent Korean cloning fiasco? Like the forestry research papers that were pulled because of political and corporate pressure? Like so many others that have been in the recent news?

Problem is that scientists and researchers can be corrupted by fame, fortune or pressure just like other humans.

I'm not saying that this technology is bogus - I know nothing about the technology or the people involved. But the fact that it comes from a university doesn't offer any special guarantees in my book.

100 Millenia of Data

[digitaldc]

Imagine an iPod playing music for 100 millennia without repeating a single song

Thats great until during that 100 millenia you encounter the next Ice Age, it freezes stopping its data transfer to only playing one song, "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher
  - for eternity.

Hey Clippy, I forgot what I

[JohnnyGTO]

called that spreadsheet!!



User: Hey Clippy search for .xls files containing "2006 budget"

Clippy: I see, you want me to spend the rest of eternity searching 13 petabytes for your stupid spreadsheet??! I quit!! User: This maybe the first effective way to get rid of that little twerp.

Re:You'de still be thirsty...

[pryonic]

You underestimate just how much pr0n I have, my good Spade.

Couple of questions

[gone.fishing]

Does this mean that the operating temp range will be 32F - 212F (0C-100C)?

I would have said, If this is vaporware I'd be steamed...

I suppose this will give a whole new meaning to the term "The computer froze up"!

Will we litterally need a bit bucket for overflow?

I better stop now.

Bad physics

[Anonymous Coward]

Without commenting on the competence of the researcher, whoever wrote the press release doesn't have the first idea what they're talking about.

"Ferroelectric materials possess spontaneous and reversible electric dipole moments. These dipole moments are times when the material gains a charge, in this case an electric one. For example, the Earth's magnetic field generates a dipole moment that causes compasses to face north"

First sentence is correct. Second sentence is baloney. A dipole moment is not anything to do with time, and an electric dipole moment does not mean a material gains a net charge, although it might correspond to a charge developing on a certain surface. Third sentence: the dipole moments associated with the earth's magnetization are nothing to do with the dipole moments in a ferroelectric material. The former are the result of intrinsic magnetic moments in atoms, the latter the result of differing charge distributions in materials. Similar names, completely different things.

Mod parent up +5 It does make sense!!!!!

[technoextreme]

http://miru.deviantart.com/journal/
Here is the exact text:

A physics professor and his assistant are working on liberating negatively charged hydroxyl ions, when all of a sudden, the assistant says, "Wait, Professor! What if the salicylic acids do not accept the hydroxyl ions?" And the professor responds, "That's no hydroxyl ion! That's my wife!"
-Joke from Dexter's Laboratory

I've always wanted to understand this joke, from many years ago. @___@;;;
I was reminded of this joke today when we talked about hydroxyls in biology and chemistry. :XD:

To liberate is to set free. The point of this joke is that it's saying that a negatively charged hydroxyl ion is equivalent to a professor's wife. Hydroxyls, which contain at least one hydroxide (-OH), are alcohols. Does the joke mean the wife is drunk?
I then researched salicyclic acids and I found out that salicyclic acid is a plant hormone used as a medicine for acne. More importantly, it is a carboxylic acid. We learned in biology today that an ester linkage is formed between a carboxyl and a hydroxyl, and in this case, salicylic acid and hydroxyl ions create aspirin, the pain reliever.
Now isn't that cool? :D
Lastly, the hydroxyl ion is NEGATIVELY charged, so the wife has had an excess of alcohol.
Basically, therefore, the professor was only trying to give some aspirin to his wife, who has a hangover.
ROTFLMAO.

Btw... I find it creepy that googling this returned six results.