Today, in the modern days of technology, storing data and information has become very vital. Hence you can see lots of development taking place in storage technology in a more rapid fashion. You could see hard disks and flash drives which are competent to store huge amount of data and information. However, it is still recommended to have a backup of all the data you have in your PC as these hard drives can crash anytime. Considering this aspect a team of researchers and scientists have evolved with some of the most expensive hard disk costing around 30,000 dollars in the IT world meant to last forever. Let’s explore this unique and the most expensive hard disk made from Sapphire.
How it all started?
The idea of having a robust and everlasting memory hard drive came into being when nuclear waste repositories realized a fact that they required to preserve the records and data pertaining to buried waste, not for few decades for several thousands of years. They didn’t have any storing format which could last long securing the records for this amount of time frame. Securing data for such a huge time can help the future archeologists in carrying out the advancements in nuclear waste management and other developments to the next level.
This urge has eventually motivated the ANDRA team (an agency dealing with waste management) to develop an incredible hard disk made up of Sapphire wherein data is engraved via Platinum. It is made up of two different thin disks of industrial sapphire which measures approximately 20 cm across. This robust kind of hard drive made up of sapphire means to last for around one million years which can secure the data for this incredible amount of time frame.
How does it work?
This hard disk carries two thin disks of industrial sapphire wherein the data would be etched in platinum onto a single side of only one disk. Another disk is simply placed over the top in the form of a sandwich. The two different disks are fused together molecularly. The researchers are now testing its durability factor by simply immersing the disk into the acid and to simulate the aging factor. The scientists claim that it can survive to around million years securing all the data stored in the disk.
Some concerns before the scientists
Though the hard drive made up of sapphire could last to a million years, yet, the researchers have two small concerns before them. Firstly, the cost of this hard disk is huge which may not be an affordable option for everyone. Secondly, they do not guarantee a fact that whether the future inhabitants would not be able to understand and read the records stored in the hard drive. Therefore the researchers are still not sure which language to use while writing the data inside the disk. A majority of the scientists, therefore, suggest simply using a number of images and photographs rather storing the data in the form of script or numbers.
Wrapping up
Though, the hard disk drive technology has enhanced a lot in recent years, yet, the data protection remains a challenge before the researchers. Therefore to be a safer side you need a proper backup of your data. However, with this recent development of sapphire based hard disk, you can end up securing data for one million years. But better don’t expect to get it since it happens to be the most expensive one.
