• At a glance Microsoft Research publishes breakthrough inNatureon glass-based data storage that could preserve information for 10,000 years. • New technique extends technology from expensive fused silica to ordinary borosilicate glass found in kitchen cookware. • Innovations enable faster parallel writing, simplified readers (one camera instead of three), and easier manufacturing. • Phase voxel method requires only a single laser pulse, significantly reducing complexity and cost. • Long-term preservation of digital information has long challenged archivists and datacenters, as magnetic tapes and hard drives degrade within decades. • Existing archival storage solutions have limited media lifespans that make them less than ideal for preserving information for future generations.
Article Summaries:
- At a glance - Microsoft Research publishes breakthrough in Nature on glass-based data storage that could preserve information for 10,000 years. - New technique extends technology from expensive fused silica to ordinary borosilicate glass found in kitchen cookware. - Innovations enable faster parallel writing, simplified readers (one camera instead of three), and easier manufacturing. - Phase voxel method requires only a single laser pulse, significantly reducing complexity and cost. Long-term preservation of digital information has long challenged archivists and datacenters, as magnetic tapes
Sources:
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/project-silicas-advances-in-glass-storage-technology/ (Latest source article published: 2026-02-18 16:11 UTC)