Store 360 TB of Photos for 13.8 Billion Years on This Tiny Glass Disc

“Disc rot” and “data rot” are a reality, and even though you’ve lovingly backed up your files, they may not actually last as long as you hope they will. A new type of “eternal” storage technology may soon become widely available, eliminating any anxiety you may have about your files dying before you do.

A nano structured glass disc stores digital content for literally billions of years, which may as well be eternal.

Thanks to a group of folks at University of Southampton, a tiny glass disc equipped to hold laser writing can hold up to 360 terabytes each and are stable to 1000 degrees Celsius. Life expectancy for the date exceeds 13 billion years at room temperature.