glass archival storage

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Glass archival storage, also known as Project Silica from Microsoft Research, uses femtosecond lasers to encode terabytes of data inside borosilicate glass. Accelerated aging tests suggest these inscriptions can survive for at least 10,000 years under typical storage conditions. This technology moves from laboratory curiosity to a demonstrable archival platform, offering a durable, long-term solution for digital archiving. Discussions on WindowsForum cover the technical details, potential applications, and comparisons with other storage media, highlighting its promise for preserving data over millennia.
  1. Phase voxel glass archival storage: TB-scale in borosilicate with 10,000 year longevity

    Microsoft Research’s Project Silica has moved from laboratory curiosity to a demonstrable archival platform: researchers report in Nature (published 18 February 2026) that they can encode terabytes of data inside millimetre‑thin pieces of glass — including ordinary borosilicate — using...