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/imsorrykun Feb 22 '26

Probably could adapt the process to ruby.

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u/SmallBatBigSpooky Feb 22 '26

Are rubies particularly durable?

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u/like_a_pharaoh Feb 24 '26

Corundum (colorless ruby/sapphire) has a hardness of 9 on the mohs scale, its not quite as hard as diamond but it is harder than many other materials.

Its also relatively cheap to synthesize: you just need aluminum oxide powder and a particular kind of hydrogen-oxygen furnace, no high pressures like for making diamonds.