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Storing Data In Synthetic Fossils
Bismillah tips news of research from ETH Zurich which brings the possibility of extremely long-term data storage. The scientists encoded data in DNA, a young but established technique that has a major problem: accuracy. "[E]ven a short period of time presents a problem in terms of the margin of error, as mistakes occur in the writing and reading of the DNA. Over the longer term, DNA can change significantly as it reacts chemically with the environment, thus presenting an obstacle to long-term storage." To get around this issue, they encapsulated the DNA within tiny silica spheres, a process roughly comparable to the fossilization of bones (abstract). The researchers say data can be preserved this way for over a million years.
They're proven and reliable don't use some new-fangled technology..
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
Can this be the end to the monthly "Hey guys whats the best way to back up my mp3s and family pics, no i mean really back them up, like for YEARS" on ask slashdot? From now on when one of those submissions gets greenlit, a link to this is going to be the only reply. Are we agreed?
Can we get some data transfer rates, seek time, buffer size, and what platform these will be geared?
I knew I recognized this plot....well played Ridley Scott.
We already have a substantial body of materials from the ancients which go unread or unstudied. And if the rare scholar happens to dig into that material whatever he gleans from it tends not to be communicated to others unless some real revelation is obvious in the material. There is a further issue in that the scholar who does read the material may not have the odd skills required to understand what he is reading. For example a financial transaction might display some form of primitive calculus that would only be noticed by someone who specializes in ancient mathematics. Or it could be some form of description that applies to more than one thing such as a sort of verbal mapping that might have important information. These issues also apply to fairly modern works as well. For example who studies the region now called Hungary for literature appearing in the 14th or 15th, centuries? Did Armenia have a Shakespeare? And we get into India or China the shear volume of materials is a barrier in itself. Now cast forward one million years and try to imagine who would apply much effort to studying what we do today. Frankly we are all lost in time and space it is just that most of us don't know it. If you don't believe that please name one citizen of the Etruscan Empire. Or how about one citizen from the Chaldean Empire?
They can do glass etching with lasers in 3D why cant they do the same but with binary data? make a glass or lexan cube that holds data in a 3D array to send data into the distant future?
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
There was never even a centralized Etruscan state, much less an empire.
Storage is only part of the problem. When I was doing some maintenance programming many years ago a colleague had to dredge up data from old CDC tapes. It took a while. Now fast forward 1 million years.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
Today: "I've got this really important data, let's store it as fossilized DNA!"
2000 years later: "Hey, I've found some fossilized DNA, let's inject it in some frog eggs and see what happens!"
One must be long overdue. It's not like, super certain, that current civilization will last longer than the Ptolemaic Dynasty.
Gently reply
and it worked perfectly allowing a 100% recovery of original data.
Extremely long-term data storage you say? Time-proven technology of chisel and stone seems by far the best option.
I thought this was an Onion article for their biochemical edition when I read the headline. DNA is not a place you want to put your information because DNases are everywhere. Anyone who handles this information medium is loaded up with the enzymes designed specifically to degrade them. The only worse idea would be data storage in RNA or maybe wisps of smoke.
Oh, but we are going to encapsulate them. That should do it. Yeah, go for this storage method that you have to synthesize with a rate millions of times slower that digital, that uses a 4 bit code instead of hexidecimal.
If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
Ok, so these spheres come with mini-USB connectors ? :)
Two things to think about....how tiny/delicate is the connection matrix (subject to damage?). And, in the event of a widespread disaster that takes civilization to near zero, the ability to engineer something able to read them....does the civiization following ours have to evolve to our technological level to read it ? That somewhat would make it useless for someone trying to survive/rebuild in the aftermath.
Maybe stone tablets WOULD be a better idea (seriously).
Just some things that occurred to me.....
This might be useful if we ever build very slow, small and cheap interstellar colonization ships. Basically, I'm picturing something like a seed from which an entire civilization could hatch. In practice, it would be a tiny fabrication plant, plus lots of data. Once it arrives, the thing would use material from an asteroid or a comet to build larger and more specialized 3D printers, which would turn asteroids into a habitable space station, bioreplicators, etc. The bioreplicators would produce living germ cells from DNA data, artificial wombs would gestate them, and very fancy AI would parent the kids that come out. It's fun to think about how tiny the initial payload could be so that it's still big enough to eventually get the job done. Probably, the best way to do it would be to start with a single crude and tiny 3D printer, which is able to make a larger, better 3D printer, and so on.
Obviously, a big proportion of the mass of this thing would be the storage medium that carries all the data, because you won't just need software, videos, libraries, etc. You'll also need genetic info for an adequately diverse population of humans, plus an adequately diverse population of all the other living things those humans will need and want to have around, like gut bacteria, broccoli, earthworms, butterflies, kitties, etc. That's a lot of data, so you obviously want a robust and low-mass storage medium for it. The trip might take thousands of years, and space can be nasty. But if this DNA-in-glass medium can reliably last millions of years - more at 3 degrees K, I presume - maybe it would do the job. It would be really cool if it turned out to be possible to reconstitute our civilization in another solar system from a seed no larger than a trashcan. I don't see any reason to think it's impossible to go even smaller, maybe to the size of a beer can. The smaller it is, the easier it is to accelerate and decelerate. If it rides a laser beam on the way out, and decelerates with solar sail (like a parachute), it might be practical to make thousands of these rather cheaply. Any seeds that germinate could then make thousands more. (I think Freeman Dyson once discussed an idea like this.)