- 5D memory crystals store a complete human genome for posterity
- The genetic code is preserved in fused quartz
- Indestructible memory crystals can withstand heat, strength and cosmic radiation
In 2016, progress was carried out in the development of data storage, since scientists from the University of Southampton successfully developed a 5D memory crystal capable of storing up to 360 terabytes (TB) of data, with a useful life of almost 14 billion years.
Unlike conventional data storage formats that degrade over time, technology, called “Superman memory crystal”, has immense potential for long -term preservation, opening new ways in the scientific archive, Environmental and historical.
The 5D memory crystal developed by the Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC) of the University of Southampton is a unique data storage means that uses five dimensions to encode information.
5D memory glass
The term “5D” refers to the two optical dimensions and three space coordinates that are registered in the glass. With ultra fast laser, the equipment writes data in nanostructured gaps within the silica material, creating a highly lasting and stable memory storage form.
A human genome is the complete set of genetic instructions for a human being, encoded in DNA. It consists of approximately 3 billion pairs of bases organized in 23 pairs of chromosomes located in the core of each cell.
Although it is currently not possible to recreate synthetically human, plants or genetic data animals, there have been some progress in synthetic biology. Therefore, the preservation of the genomes that use 5D memory crystals could one day play a fundamental role in reviving extinct species (like us) in the distant future.
The creators of the 5D memory glass had the future in mind, considering that it can be discovered long after humans have gone. The glass is stored in the memory of the Humanity Archive, a unique time capsule located inside a salt cave in Hallstatt, Austria. This archive serves as a safeguard, preserving human history and knowledge for future generations.
The data enrolled in the glass is carefully recorded with universal elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen, as well as the four DNA bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine and timin, which constitute the genetic code. In addition, the molecular structure of the DNA and the arrangement of the genes within the chromosomes are represented, which offers clear instructions on how to interpret the genetic information stored inside.
However, it is important to keep in mind that 5D memory crystals require a set of highly specialized skills and an advanced team to register and read the data stored within the crystals, so those who seek to restore the human race after a Extinction event may have to refer to more traditional media.
The glass, made of fused quartz, is one of the most chemical and thermally known materials on Earth, and can support temperatures as high as 1000 ° C, resist the direct impact forces to 10 tons per square centimeter, and not See a long time for a long time. -The deadline for cosmic radiation. The longevity and storage capacity of the 5D memory glass earned him a worldwide guinness record in 2014 for being the most durable data storage material ever created.
“We know for the work of others that the genetic material of simple organisms can be synthesized and used in an existing cell to create a viable living specimen in a laboratory,” says Professor Peter Kazansky, leader of the scientific team of the University of Southampton . .
“The 5D memory crystal opens possibilities for other researchers The knowledge of the search engine of what the data is stored inside and how it could be used … We do not know if memory crystal technology will ever follow these plates in the distance traveled, but each album can be expected with a high Degree of confidence to exceed his survival time, “added Professor Kazansky.
