Researchers develop memory crystal that could store 360TB of data forever

[HiFlyer 9,343]

Kind of interesting stuff!

 

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/223144-researchers-develop-superman-memory-crystal-that-could-store-360tb-of-data

 

Excerpt:

 

Researchers at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Center have developed a new form of data storage that could potentially survive for billions of years. The research consists of nanostructured glass that can record digital data in five dimensions using femtosecond laser writing.

 

The crystal storage contains 360TB per disc and is stable at up to 1,000 degrees celsius. You record data using an ultra-fast laser that produces short and intense pulses of light — on the order of one quadrillionth of a second each — and it writes the file in fused quartz, in three layers of nanostructured dots separated by five micrometers.

 

Reading the data back requires pulsing the laser again, and recording the polarization of the waves with an optical microscope and polarizer. The five dimensions consist of the size and orientation in addition to the three-dimensional position of the nanostructures.

 

The group coined the storage the “Superman memory crystal” after the crystals found in the Superman films.

[stans 702]

"The crystal storage contains 360TB per disc and is stable at up to 1,000 degrees celsius. You record data using an ultra-fast laser that produces short and intense pulses of light — on the order of one quadrillionth of a second each"

[martin-w 3,234]

As they say, today's science fiction is tomorrows science fact. How many times have we seen data storage on crystals in science fiction. I've lost count. 

 

Guess it's warp drive next. 

[HiFlyer 9,343]

Memory storage that could outlast our civilization...... But will anyone know how to access it?

 

Maybe we should get to work on those talking rings!  :smile:

 

[z06z33 763]

As they say, today's science fiction is tomorrows science fact. How many times have we seen data storage on crystals in science fiction. I've lost count. 

 

Guess it's warp drive next.

 

Actually NASA is working on one,it's in its infancy but it's real

[martin-w 3,234]

Actually NASA is working on one,it's in its infancy but it's real

 

 

 

 

David... warp drive would be the Alcubierre drive. It's based on Einsteins filed equations. It requires negative energy density so requires exotic matter. Trouble is we have no idea if such exotic matter exists. If it does it's theoretically possible, if it doesn't it's not theoretically possible.

 

So no, they aren't working on one. It's just a speculative idea by Miguel Alcubirre.

Memory storage that could outlast our civilization...... But will anyone know how to access it?

 

Maybe we should get to work on those talking rings!  :smile:

 

Now your talking, good old H G Wells.

 

I recall data stored on crystals in Star Trek. Deep Space 9. Think Quark was swanning around up to mischief with a hand full of crystals. Not to mention his naughty holodeck programs on data crystals.

[z06z33 763]

There is a way to go beyond the speed of light we just haven't figured it out yet,at one time they thought the sound barrier couldn't be crossed.

[WotanUK 289]

There is a way to go beyond the speed of light we just haven't figured it out yet,at one time they thought the sound barrier couldn't be crossed.

 

There are real scientific reasons that this may not be possible or at the very least practically unusable.  First there are the relativistic effects, not well covered in any Sci Fi or film (save possible Interstellar).  Even short journeys at light speed (say the 4 years it would take to get to our nearest star) would lead to significant issues.  

Einstein's famous equation E=MC2 shows us that to move an object at the speed of light requires a huge (increasing to an infinite) amount of energy.  One possible solution to this is actually found in Star Trek, while Einstein saw a limit as to the speed an object could move through space, he didn't see a limit that space itself could move.  Effectively the Enterprise doesn't move at all, it moves space around it.  As Martin says above, this requires exotic forms of matter including negative masses, such things while possible have never been observed.

[z06z33 763]

There are real scientific reasons that this may not be possible or at the very least practically unusable.  First there are the relativistic effects, not well covered in any Sci Fi or film (save possible Interstellar).  Even short journeys at light speed (say the 4 years it would take to get to our nearest star) would lead to significant issues.  

Einstein's famous equation E=MC2 shows us that to move an object at the speed of light requires a huge (increasing to an infinite) amount of energy.  One possible solution to this is actually found in Star Trek, while Einstein saw a limit as to the speed an object could move through space, he didn't see a limit that space itself could move.  Effectively the Enterprise doesn't move at all, it moves space around it.  As Martin says above, this requires exotic forms of matter including negative masses, such things while possible have never been observed.

The question how would light speed travel get around the issue of time acceleration ie when your going light speed time passes slower for you then the universe around you so basically if you leave on a few week mission you would come back to earth and it could be years or decades later.

[WotanUK 289]

The question how would light speed travel get around the issue of time acceleration ie when your going light speed time passes slower for you then the universe around you so basically if you leave on a few week mission you would come back to earth and it could be years or decades later.

 

That would be the Relativistic effects, or time dilation i mention above.  It's a significant issue not covered very well when discussing FTL travel, Interstellar did cover the issue very well, worth a watch just for that.

 

Unfortunately i fear we won't be bedding green alien women or fighting human looking aliens anytime soon.

[z06z33 763]

That would be the Relativistic effects, or time dilation i mention above.  It's a significant issue not covered very well when discussing FTL travel, Interstellar did cover the issue very well, worth a watch just for that.

 

Unfortunately i fear we won't be bedding green alien women or fighting human looking aliens anytime soon.

Haha,the relativistic effects are probably why we haven't had any visitors which is probably a good thing for our sakes

[martin-w 3,234]

There are real scientific reasons that this may not be possible or at the very least practically unusable.  First there are the relativistic effects, not well covered in any Sci Fi or film (save possible Interstellar).  Even short journeys at light speed (say the 4 years it would take to get to our nearest star) would lead to significant issues.  

Einstein's famous equation E=MC2 shows us that to move an object at the speed of light requires a huge (increasing to an infinite) amount of energy.  One possible solution to this is actually found in Star Trek, while Einstein saw a limit as to the speed an object could move through space, he didn't see a limit that space itself could move.  Effectively the Enterprise doesn't move at all, it moves space around it.  As Martin says above, this requires exotic forms of matter including negative masses, such things while possible have never been observed.

 

 

 

To add to Ian's post, to move an object at the speed of light doesn't require a huge amount of energy, it requires an infinite amount of energy, not only that, but our imaginary space vessel would have infinite mass.

 

 

The nice thing about Miguel Alcubierre's concept is that as space is moving rather than the space vessel,  no relativistic effects to worry about, no time dilation, no Lorentz contraction etc. Although Lorentz contraction is probably a benefit.

 

 

 

Unfortunately i fear we won't be bedding green alien women or fighting human looking aliens anytime soon.

 

 

 

Who knows Ian... they may already be here. Scientist are experimenting with meta-material cloaking devices as we speak. If we are, at our primitive level of development, what could a species do that's 100's if not thousands of years more advanced than us? They may be hovering above our heads now and we'd never know.

 

Given the age of the universe, and plenty of time for a super advanced species to evolve, and given that their society didn't self destruct, they may well have figured out how to traverse the huge distances involved. The human race is just scratching the surface in terms of our understanding of the nature of reality, there could well be ways to circumvent what we perceive as an insurmountable barrier to interstellar travel.

 

 

And speaking of the film Interstellar, to prop open a worm hole would again require exotic physics, namely negative energy. However, there's a scientist in the US that believes there could be a way. I'm sure you've heard of the Casimir effect, where a force acts between two uncharged conducting plates when in incredibly close proximity, due to quantum fluctuations.

 

Well the scientist in question believes that a worm hole that narrows down, so long and very thin, would create it's own negative energy due to the Casimir effect. Essentially in the Casimir effect, there are less quantum fluctuations between the plates than outside, so negative energy between the plates. Same for our narrow wormhole. You wouldn't be able to send a space ship though, too narrow, but you would be able to send a communications signal through. Possibly to another region of the universe, or even through time.

[martin-w 3,234]

Haha,the relativistic effects are probably why we haven't had any visitors which is probably a good thing for our sakes

 

 

Unless we have had visitors!!! We may scoff at UFO reports, but there are some pretty weird ones out there.In particular by pilots.   :smile:

 

 

Any way, I don't no what you negative Nancy's are babbling on about. Only last night I was cruising a resource extraction sire in my A  rated Vulture, blasting bad guys and then heading back to the nearest space station with one million credits in bounties. 

 

Some of you will know what I'm talking about.  

[HiFlyer 9,343]

Well.......... There is one theory that the galaxy is so quiet because somebody is out there destroying noisy radio emitting blabbermouths who foolishly broadcast their presence out into a hostile universe. If that's true, then there might be a special delivery package heading in this direction even as we speak...... The galaxy is tense silence. Shattered every few centuries by a sharp, panicked scream.

[martin-w 3,234]

I'd like to think that as a species progresses technologically, they also progress in other respects. To survive without blowing themselves to pieces they would have to. They would need to overcome any self destructive tendencies. So perhaps any species visiting here would have progressed beyond violence and conquest.

 

They certainly wouldn't need our world for resources, as there are plenty of asteroids out there to provide all required. I would imagine any super advanced species capable of getting here would be pretty good at teraforming too, so no need for our ball of rock in that respect either.

 

It may be we haven detected aliens simply because we aren't listening the right way. It may be that there's only a narrow window in which a species uses radio waves. There may be plenty of species out there communicating in  a more sophisticated way.

 

Space could be teaming with life of course, but intelligent life may be far more rare, simply because those civilisations self destruct. Space is big, and advanced species may be rare.