Breakthrough in UK Human Genome Laser-Engraved onto 5D Memory Crystal
TapTechNews September 23rd news, the research team led by Peter Kazansky from the University of Southampton in the UK, with the help of the technology from Helixworks Technologies, has successfully laser-engraved the entire human genome onto a 5D memory crystal. This breakthrough marks a breakthrough in laser engraving research on transparent storage media that started in 1996. This 5D memory crystal can store up to 360 terabytes of data on a 5-inch square crystal, and due to the high durability of the material, the data can theoretically be preserved indefinitely without the problem of data damage.
According to TapTechNews, the 5D memory crystal is actually made of silica glass and has set a Guinness World Record and is considered the most durable data storage material. It can withstand cosmic radiation, a pressure of up to 10 tons per square centimeter, and even a high temperature of 1000 degrees Celsius. The research team believes that using this storage medium to write the human genome can provide humans with a blueprint for recovery from extinction in thousands, millions or even billions of years later because of its extremely high durability and storage density.
Of course, there is currently no biotech available for cloning humans or reconstructing humans solely from the human genome, and maybe such technology will never even emerge. But this storage technology still has practical significance in large-scale applications, especially if we want to preserve most or all of the current digital age's content for future generations.
It is worth mentioning that the D in 5D refers to the degree of freedom. Officially, these crystals are actually based on the existing 3D optical storage technology and add a birefringence feature, so that each tiny data storage pit can store 8 bits / a complete byte of data, rather than just one bit per pit. This is considered to add two additional degrees of freedom on top of the expected three spatial degrees of freedom, so it is called 5D.