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Universal Declaration of Human Rights preserved to 5D optical memory
Zepler Institute Director, Prof Sir David Payne, has presented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights encoded to 5D data storage to UNESCO at the International Year of Light (IYL) closing ceremony in Mexico.
The presentation was made to Dr Jean-Paul Ngome Abiaga on behalf of the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO during the official closing ceremony for the IYL held in Mérida, Mexico by Professor John Dudley, President of the European Physical Society and Chairman of the IYL Steering Committee and Sir David, who chaired the session.
Professor Dudley said: “This technology has been one of the highlights of this year’s news events for the IYL. To see the Universal Declaration of Human Rights preserved in this form of infinite storage takes us into a new realm of understanding the role of light for the future of global society.”
Sir David explained the motivation behind the gift: “UNESCO’s International Year of Light has increased global public and political understanding of the central role of light in enhancing the human experience. We felt the gift document, encoded into a technology that is the epitome of the messaging for the IYL, promoting sustainable development, education and communication is a unique way to enshrine the Declaration.”
The pioneering research into 5D data storage, led by researchers from the Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), has created a way to store immense quantities of data for millennia, using glass nanostructured with ultra-short light pulses.
Professor Peter Kazansky, project lead, explains: “The 5D storage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents how light technologies enable humanity to share ideals and information, gain inspiration and provide hope. The Declaration is one of the first digital documents to be stored this way: it could survive the human race. The ORC is proud that laser technology has enabled a lasting legacy to be created for the benefit of all peoples and nations.”
Currently in its infancy, 5D storage technology has the capability of storing up to 360 TB of data on a single disc; more than 7,000 times more than today’s 50-gigabyte double-layer Blu-ray capacity. In addition, the disc has thermal stability up to 1000°C (1832°F) and a practically unlimited lifetime.
The technology has the potential to transform the way organisations store and archive their material, for example museums, national archives and universities who have huge numbers of precious and irreplaceable documents. For organisations that have to back up their archives every five to ten years, 5D memory glass - dubbed the Superman memory crystal - could be the answer.
If you are interested in collaborating on developing this technology for commercialisation, please contact Professor Peter Kazansky by telephone +44(0)23 8059 3083 or email 'pgk at soton.ac.uk'
Posted by rc2c12@sot on 05 Feb 2016.