The Methuselah of Discs

This story was reported on ABC Science about a data disc that can last one million years or longer.  This would create a data record that lasts far longer than technology we have used thus far in recorded human history, surpassing archival paper (500 years) and even rock carvings which are subject to erosion over time.

Jeroen de Vries from the University of Twente, The Netherlands, and colleagues write, “If we want to preserve anything about the human race which can outlast the human race itself, we require a data storage medium designed to last for one million to one billion years.”

A lot can happen in one million years – where and how the disc is stored will be as important as the data integrity.  I found the testing procedure fascinating, however.  (Don’t try this at home.)