‘5D’ memory crystal claims to store data for eternity — the human genome has already been crammed onto a single small crystal

On Saturday, researchers led by Peter Kazansky of the University of Southampton in the UK revealed that they successfully laser-inscribed the entirety of the human genome onto a “5D” memory crystal with the help of Helixworks Technologies. This move is the culmination of decades of research on laser-inscribing on transparent storage mediums stemming as far back as 1996, which now gives us “5D” memory crystals that can record up to 360 terabytes of data on a 5-inch square and, due to the high durability of the material, should last basically forever without any bit rot.

The 5D memory crystal, which is actually made of silica glass, holds a Guinness World Record for the most durable data storage material. It’s noted as being able to withstand cosmic radiation, endure force of up to 10 tons per square centimeter, and even survive temperatures as hot as 1000 degrees Celsius. Using this storage medium to write the human genome, the team behind it believes they can provide “a blueprint to bring humanity back from extinction thousands, millions, or even billions of years into the future,” thanks to its extreme durability and storage density.

Of course, the technology needed to clone humans or recreate humanity from the human genome alone does not exist yet. It may even never exist. But there could still be practical uses for storage technology like this on a larger scale, particularly if we hope to preserve most or all of the current digital age for future generations.

With that said, it is important that we take a moment to explain that they did not invent two new dimensions of space and time for this 5D memory crystal. The “D” in this context refers to degrees of freedom. As the official 5D memory crystal page explains, these crystals are actually built on existing 3D optical storage technologies with the addition of “birefringence,” which allows for every single microscopic “pit” of data storage to store eight bits/a full byte of data instead of just a bit per pit. This is considered to add two extra degrees of freedom on top of the expected three spatial dimensions of freedom, which gives us the “5D” designation.