From: rich@example.invalid   
      
   c186282  wrote:   
   > https://phys.org/news/2026-02-glass-square-future-storage.html   
   >   
   > Scientists at Microsoft Research in the United States have   
   > demonstrated a system called Silica for writing and reading   
   > information in ordinary pieces of glass which can store two   
   > million books' worth of data in a thin, palm-sized square.   
   >   
   > In a paper published today in Nature, the researchers say   
   > their tests suggest the data will be readable for more than   
   > 10,000 years.   
      
   Try obtaining a new 8", 5.25" or 3.5" floppy disk mechanism today in   
   2026.  And, assuming you found one (new old stock maybe?) try finding a   
   reasonably recent computer to which you can attach it (floppy ports   
   have disappeared too).   
      
   And it has not been 10,000 years yet since all three of those sizes of   
   "data storage media" were readily available.   
      
   The problem will *all* these claims of "this chunk of glass/quartz/etc.   
   will store your data for 10,000 years" has always been: "yes, but in 7   
   years the market will have shifted and no one will be making   
   reader/writer machines anymore".   
      
   Having a palm-sized square of glass holding two million books (odd   
   measurement there, but...) is not worth much if you can no longer find   
   any working machines that will actually read any of the two million   
   books off the palm-sized square of glass.   
      
   > The new system, called Silica, uses extremely short flashes   
   > of laser light to inscribe bits of information into a block   
   > of ordinary glass.   
      
   Sounds similar to those laser etched artworks in glass where small   
   bubbles are created in the right pattern to make a 3d image of   
   something appear inside the glass/plastic block.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)