Is M-Disc the Future of Data Storage?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the potential of M-Disc technology as a future data storage solution, comparing it with other emerging storage methods such as DNA synthesis and holographic storage. Participants explore the feasibility, longevity, and current limitations of these technologies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference a BBC article discussing the theoretical storage density of new technologies, noting that practical applications are not yet viable due to temperature and speed limitations.
  • Concerns are raised about the reliability of past predictions regarding storage breakthroughs, with one participant recalling the anticipated standardization of holographic floppy disks that did not materialize.
  • Another participant introduces the concept of using artificial DNA for data storage, highlighting its extreme density and longevity, while discussing a proposed architecture for a DNA-based archival system.
  • One participant advocates for M-Disc technology, emphasizing its long-lasting nature and the results of military stress tests that support its durability.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the future of data storage, with no consensus on which technology will prevail. Some express skepticism about the practicality of emerging technologies, while others highlight the promising aspects of M-Disc and DNA storage.

Contextual Notes

Participants note various limitations in the discussed technologies, including the current impracticality of certain methods due to environmental requirements and the historical context of failed predictions in storage advancements.

1oldman2
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After reading about this I'm left wondering what's next.
From, http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36824902

"In theory, this storage density would allow all books ever created by humans to be written on a
single post stamp," said Dr Otte.
As a proof of principle, the team encoded a section of a famous lecture called "There's plenty of
room at the bottom" by the physicist Richard Feynman on an area 100 nanometres wide.

However, despite its future promise, the approach is not ready for the real world just yet. Stable
information storage could only be demonstrated at a temperature of 77 Kelvin (-196C) and the
speed of single write and read processes is still slow - on the scale of minutes.
(anyone know how I happened to do duplicate posts here?)
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
I'm thinking, look for 10-year-old articles about the latest storage breakthroughs. I think the holographic floppy disks were supposed to be standard by now.
 
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1oldman2 said:
After reading about this I'm left wondering what's next.
From, http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36824902
...
Artificial DNA synthesis.
...Using DNA to archive data is an attractive possibility because it is extremely dense, with a raw limit of 1 exabyte/mm3 (109 GB/mm3), and long-lasting, with observed half-life of over 500 years. This paper presents an architecture for a DNA-based archival storage system. It is structured as a key-value store, and leverages common biochemical techniques to provide random access. We also propose a new encoding scheme that offers controllable redundancy, trading off reliability for density. We demonstrate feasibility, random access, and robustness of the proposed encoding with wet lab experiments involving 151 kB of synthesized DNA and a 42 kB random-access subset, and simulation experiments of larger sets calibrated to the wet lab experiments. Finally, we highlight trends in biotechnology that indicate the impending practicality of DNA storage for much larger data-sets.
 
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If you want really long lasting data use M-Disc.. It's a type of CD/DVD which don't use the classic painted reflective layer but a carbon layer.
Is advertised as 1000 years... Yes thousand. The military did stress tests with it and various other brands and stuff it is really that good.. It's basically inert carbon.
 
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