5D glass disc capable of storing up to 360 terabytes of data

Scientists at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre have developed a 5D glass disc capable of storing up to 360 terabytes of data with a projected lifespan of billions of years. According to ScienceAlert, the disc uses femtosecond laser writing to inscribe data into nanostructured silica glass. The “5D” refers to three spatial dimensions plus the size and orientation of each data point.

This technology is incredibly durable, it can withstand temperatures up to 1,000°C, cosmic radiation, and physical impact. It’s been dubbed the “Superman memory crystal”, and researchers have already used it to store the entire human genome, along with historical documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Magna Carta. 

The crystal is now part of the Memory of Mankind archive in Austria, a time capsule designed to preserve human knowledge for future civilizations.