DVDs That Last For 1000 Years Might Be Overkill
Problem: Optical media like DVDs eventually die. Solution, according to Barry Lunt: Actually carve data into a disc composed of magic hard “persistent” materials with a laser.
His Millennial Disks (say that 3x fast) can be read in regular DVD drives, despite being made with a secret sauce of “persistent” materials—he drops words like gold and obsidian, which makes it sound expensive. Indeed, they cost $US30. For DVDs. That you can never rewrite. A Blu-ray version is in the works (will they cost $US100?).
And it might be a lie! The plastic—his discs’ weak point, your discs’ strong point—could die before the disc reaches a thousand years old: “That plastic may limit us to a few centuries or a thousand years for now.” Is there a warranty? Plus, shouldn’t it be Millennial Disc, not Disk?
Also, will the slot-loading disc drives in the bellies of the invading aliens be able to read Millenniata’s Millennial discs in 1000 years? These are the kinds of compatibility questions we should be taking seriously today, before they become a problem tomorrow, like with magnetic tape today.
If only there was a way to copy data to lots of different places, so that if it died in one place, it would still exist in another place. That would be really super great. [Herald Extra via Slashdot]
- Next Post: Symbian’s App Publishing Platform Sounds Like A Rehab Clinic »
- « Previous Post: South Africa’s ATMs Get Weaponised With Pepper Spray
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
This might be good for digital archive of quality documents at my company. We make pressure vessels and components for nuclear power plants and are required to maintain lifetime records.
llamatron
I don't think this is overkill. Would be nice to know that your collection of movies and whatnot will actually last.
Kakkoister
I seriously hope we have better plans for storing data than a damn dvd, bluray disc, Hard drive or SSD for the long run.
None of these will survive and even if they do the humans of that time wont have a damn clue how to use them.
Its the same as the situation was with Hieroglyphs and the Rosetta Stone, unless someone plans on building a DVD player that last 1000 years its useless.
We would be better off with a stone tablet and a chisel because paper, any optical media, hard drives and SSD's wont last a damn 1000 years and be functional.
@frigg: That was a great article, showing that so much of the "common sense" stuff we thought we knew about hard drives was wrong.
@Itspeat!: Or people.
@bosskev: You win.
alphanumeric1971
@Bigbadbikernerd: Actually, for the burgeoning living dead market, Pfizer has been beaten to the punch by competitor Lilly—introducing Cialimortis®!
@Bertone Zero77: It's been a while since I read it, but I recall that the study basically says disks fail because they break down, not necessarily because of read/write errors, or because of conventional wisdom based on use. For example, a lot of people think it's good to spin up a stored drive from time to time to keep it mechanically viable, which seems to make sense. However, Google's study says it doesn't really matter.
Because it's Google, their study has heft since it involves a disk population larger than any other ever studied.
They conclude: "Surprisingly, we found that temperature and activity levels were much less correlated with drive failures than previously reported."
@bosskev: I've got a bone to pick.
Jake712
@Bertone Zero77: The lubricant in the hard drive's bearings would eventually dry out, so a hard drive won't last forever.
secret_curse
@bosskev: I'm sure Viagra will take care of that problem.
They only need to last 'til the end of 2012.
@frigg: please share. you can't just go around teasing you have cats in MacPaint.
deliciousburglar
@valkilmerisawful: Oh, be nice.
jetRink
Has he been chewing on marbles?
valkilmerisawful
@closhedbb: That's a great response. This gentleman receives the reward for fixing a problem that simply didn't exist. f-a-i-l
Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!
@frigg: Interesting, so based on that info it really has nothing to do with sheer amount of usage but more with disk-errors created by such usage. Therefore one could argue that leaving the data on a HDD that is off will not improve the longevity of the information by lack of read-use but by reducing the likelihood of errors created by users accessing the information.
Bertone Zero77
@Bertone Zero77: Google published a study of disk drive failures based on their own experience that debunked conventional wisdom linking disk activity to longevity.
http://labs.google.com/papers/disk_failures.html
1000 years may be excessive but your existing DVD collection is likely to start failing during your own lifetime. And, while you could make copies before that happens, more likely you will not even think about it until you discover that some or all of them are unreadable.
The solution probably needs to include writeable discs, though. I'm less concerned about losing the commercially sold DVDs (someone's copy will probably still be intact) than about losing things I created myself.
jdale
Millenial Disks Millenial Disks Millenial Disks.
What do I win?
there are systems that will artificially accelerate aging used to test products. wonder if he ever tried to use one of those?
I rest easy knowing my floppy disks have been tested to survive until 3009. I would just hate to lose my collection of pixelated cats made in MacPaint.
@Tarv: Yes, but you are forgetting that, as a zombie, you won't have any blood flow...and that's kinda critical for, uh, certain pr0n-related functions.
@closhedbb:
Schrodinger's Hard Drive?
jchabotte
@glenaypia: ...unless it falls into the hands of a gold-digging scientist.
we should come up with some sort of way to write information into something hard.. like rock.. or marble.. seems to me, if you want people to know information thousands of years from now.. kinda like the ancient egyptians did, we should look into that.
Can anyone think of a way to save information onto some sort of rock wall, or something?
jchabotte
I have great hopes for holographic storage, virtual unlimited amounts of storage space in a 3-d cube! Make that cube out of a diamond, and the data should last a little longer than 1000 years!
It's a decent business plan; even if they're lying, nobody who actually cares will be around to bitch.
HAZman27
@facepuncher: 4.7 GBs ought to be enough for everybody.
If only things i cared about lasted that long.... like cars or something
@Bertone Zero77: Only diamonds are forever.
glenaypia
@Bertone Zero77: Sort of. Once you seal it in that box, it will simultaneously exist as destroyed and preserved until you open it again...
closhedbb
When did that guy from "The Office" start making technologies?
closhedbb
Now I can rest easy knowing I can bury my pr0n collection with me when I die. Then at zombie apocalypse, I will be set!
How about just sticking the info on a couple TB HDD... then stick the HDD in a magnetically shielded box and be done with it? Info on a HDD if not turned on or not magnetically messed with should last forever right?
Bertone Zero77
You have to think to yourself: Would we be glad today if we had made tons of "Millenial Laserdiscs" in the 90's?
I rest my case...
closhedbb
This is mostly ridiculous, I estimate DVDs will be gone by 2020, if not sooner.Unless you are saving it for historic value a DVD will never need to last 1000 years EVER
ALSO: great picture, i lol'd
Scott Andrews
i'm somehow doubting we'll be using this medium for 1000 years...
Blank BluRay discs were $25 each when they first came out, and in 1992 a blank CD was $10.
macrumpton
There is no kill like overkill.
jman583
@bosskev: So if you are dead, wouldn't "getting a stiffy" not really be that much of a challenge? I would think that things like bending would be much more difficult.
bustedchain