Scientists have stored the entire human gene sample in a special type of glass known as “5D memory crystal,” hoping it can be used in the future as a blueprint to bring humanity back in case of extinction.
The crystal sample contains information that anyone who finds it can understand the contents. (Photo: University of Southampton).
According to CNN, this technology was developed by scientists at the University of Southampton (UK) and has the potential to preserve crucial data for humanity in the future. It could also be used to create records of plant and animal species facing extinction.
This crystal can store up to 360 terabytes of information for billions of years and endure the harshest conditions, such as freezing, fires, direct impacts, cosmic radiation, and temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius.
The research team, led by Professor Peter Kazansky, used ultra-fast lasers to write data into nano-sized crystals within silica glass. This technology allows for data encoding in very tiny voids, measuring only about 20 nanometers (1 nanometer is one billionth of a meter).
The crystal is being stored in a “time capsule” located in a salt mine in Austria. (Photo: University of Southampton).
5D optical storage technology not only opens up the possibility of storing vast amounts of data with durability spanning billions of years but also holds tremendous potential for genetic information storage.
While designing the crystal, the research team considered who or what might retrieve this information in the distant future.
To assist anyone or any machine in understanding what data is stored and how to use it, the researchers integrated visual keys into the crystals.
“The visual keys engraved on the crystal provide the finder with knowledge about the data stored within and how it can be utilized,” Kazansky stated.
Currently, this glass is stored in a “time capsule” located in the famous salt mine in Austria, CNN reported.
