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Death of the Hard Drive? Scientists store data inside DNA that could last MILLIONS of years
Mail Online ^ | 16 February 2015 | VICTORIA WOOLLASTON

Posted on 02/16/2015 11:59:42 AM PST by 9thLife

Just one gram of DNA can store the equivalent of 14,000 Blu-ray discs.

But although the potential for DNA as an alternative to hard drives has been known about for years, it is not the most reliable and secure way to keep data safe. The latest breakthrough could be about to change that, however.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: data; dna; mtdna; technology
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Death of humanity, maybe.
1 posted on 02/16/2015 11:59:42 AM PST by 9thLife
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To: 9thLife

I want my data with jet black hair and green eyes.


2 posted on 02/16/2015 12:02:19 PM PST by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)
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To: 9thLife; GeronL
Just one gram of DNA can store the equivalent of 14,000 Blu-ray discs

Microsoft's OS would need 15,000 just for spite.

3 posted on 02/16/2015 12:02:24 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
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To: 9thLife
"A DNA archive also requires no constant supply of electric power like hard discs do."

This idiot knows nothing about hard drives. Also he fails to take into account that in order to preserve the DNA data, it has to be kept frozen. Keeping data at a frozen temperature for 5000 years is not something that is going to happen. All these DNA drives will need to be stored in Antarctica.

4 posted on 02/16/2015 12:09:32 PM PST by P-Marlowe (Saying that ISIL is not Islamic is like saying Obama is not an Idiot.)
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To: 9thLife

“That’s not nice Dave”

(Hal)


5 posted on 02/16/2015 12:11:03 PM PST by G Larry (I'm not here to make liberals happy.)
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To: P-Marlowe

not with global warming thats for sure


6 posted on 02/16/2015 12:15:39 PM PST by al baby (Hi Mom)
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To: 9thLife

If the dolphins disappear, watch out for trans-dimensional mice seeking to decode this information.

(Obscure geek reference)


7 posted on 02/16/2015 12:15:48 PM PST by TheThirdRuffian (RINOS like Romney, McCain, Christie are sure losers. No more!)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

mine has jet black hair with blue eyes and is able to record everything I’ve said & done and play it back instantly


8 posted on 02/16/2015 12:16:33 PM PST by NativeSon ( Grease the floor with Crisco when I dance the Disco)
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To: a fool in paradise

Microsoft’s OS would need 15,000 just for spite.

Bwahahahhaha!


9 posted on 02/16/2015 12:20:41 PM PST by Personal Responsibility (Changing the name of a thing doesn't change the thing. A liberal or a rose by any other name...)
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To: NativeSon

and repeatedly if it’s information to use agaist me.


10 posted on 02/16/2015 12:21:14 PM PST by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else need s said?)
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To: sauropod

.


11 posted on 02/16/2015 12:22:20 PM PST by sauropod (Fat Bottomed Girl: "What difference, at this point, does it make?")
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To: 9thLife

There is some talk/research about burning data into the body of a quartz substrate for use as a lasting form of data storage. That resurrects the idea of etching things in stone, which I think is the way to go.


12 posted on 02/16/2015 12:27:02 PM PST by rightwingcrazy
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To: TheThirdRuffian

“(Obscure geek reference)”

And a very good one at that :-)!


13 posted on 02/16/2015 12:44:38 PM PST by edh (I need a better tagline)
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To: 9thLife
Just one gram of DNA can store the equivalent of 14,000 Blu-ray discs.

And it all happened by chance. Imagine that.

14 posted on 02/16/2015 12:46:41 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: 9thLife

Even the tiniest organism carries a data storage technology that is thousands of times more efficient than anything that we “intelligent” humans can dream of creating with our technology.

Yet, to suggest that might have been intelligently designed by a Creator will draw accusations that you are stupid and uneducated.


15 posted on 02/16/2015 12:55:18 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: 9thLife

Do you have to Feed it and does it produce Waste ?


16 posted on 02/16/2015 12:55:30 PM PST by molson209 (Blank)
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To: P-Marlowe

“Also he fails to take into account that in order to preserve the DNA data, it has to be kept frozen”

No, read the article. They encapsulated the DNA in a shell of silica so it is protected from interacting with the environment and won’t degrade.


17 posted on 02/16/2015 12:59:27 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

> Just one gram of DNA can store the equivalent of 14,000 Blu-ray discs.

Of course, the circuitry needed to find and retrieve the info would be larger than that, and a pretty healthy chunk of the data would be needed to keep the rest of it organized. BTW, it sez here that the avg human has about 250 grams of DNA, give or take needing to go on a diet, I suppose. ;’)

http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1auxn0/what_percentage_of_our_body_mass_is_dna/


18 posted on 02/16/2015 12:59:33 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: molson209

No, DNA is just a molecule, it is not alive so it doesn’t eat or excrete.


19 posted on 02/16/2015 1:02:47 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: SunkenCiv

“Of course, the circuitry needed to find and retrieve the info would be larger than that, and a pretty healthy chunk of the data would be needed to keep the rest of it organized.”

They have to seal the DNA is a shell of silica to preserve it, so I don’t think it could be readily accessed. Probably only useful for some serious long-term storage.


20 posted on 02/16/2015 1:04:11 PM PST by Boogieman
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