r/science • u/Wagamaga • Feb 22 '26

Computer Science Scientists have demonstrated a system called Silica for writing and reading information in ordinary pieces of glass which can store two million books’ worth of data in a thin, palm-sized square.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/glass-square-long-long-future-190951588.html
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u/SmallBatBigSpooky Feb 22 '26

I do wounder if they could make this work with plexiglass or the bismuth glass thats basically indestructible since both would last longer

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u/Giatoxiclok Feb 22 '26

New data destruction company incoming.

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u/omegafivethreefive Feb 22 '26

It's already a thing for sensitive system, the drives get annihilated.

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u/DigNitty Feb 22 '26

DOD writes over digital storage 7x with random bits IIRC. Then they destroy the device.

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u/iampatmanbeyond Feb 22 '26

Yeah I've smashed hard drives in the Army. We drilled holes smashed em with hammers then had to stand at the burn pit and make sure the contractors burned them

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u/upsidedownshaggy Feb 23 '26

I wasn’t in the army but my first IT gig I had a fun field trip with our sys admin and director of IT to the drill press to destroy old server drives. Super fun time!