Death of the Hard Drive? Scientists store data inside DNA that could last MILLIONS of years

Mail Online ^ | 16 February 2015 | VICTORIA WOOLLASTON

[roadcat]

'[We] have revealed how the long-term, error-free storage of information can be achieved, potentially for more than a million years.'

A million years, huh? Most people would find it difficult to extract data from a forty-year old floppy disc (most likely the 8-inch variety). Just think that if a super-intelligent alien civilization created some data storage that's been sitting around for a million years, would we be smart enough to detect it, let alone retrieve any data? Hopefully the means of retrieving information will survive along with the data. (I managed to keep some 5-1/4 and 3-1/2 inch floppy drives along with some old floppy discs, just so I can still use them.)

[tbw2]

It certainly gives a new meaning to computer virus - and can you imagine ruining someone’s database by accidentally giving it the flu or intentionally licking a data port?

[Falcon4.0]

Yea, my thoughts exactly.
Bring to mind the song, "In the year 25252".

[Roger Kaputnik]

Mine, too. Unfortunately mine doesn’t have an “on/off” switch which allows it to replay everything I say when I am not in the mood to hear it.

[SunkenCiv]

Regardless, it’ll make it into the next Star Trek movie. ;’)

[jyro]

after a little research, one cell contains about 1.5 gig of data in it’s DNA.

[Secret Agent Man]

Radiation mutates dna.

[TexasRepublic]

The answer they seek is 42.