3 ms·

I've thought about the same thing, but I suspect the main hurdle to overcome would be recognizing it as a data storage device in the first place. If one had an

I've thought about the same thing, but I suspect the main hurdle to overcome would be recognizing it as a data storage device in the first place. If one had an inkling of that use, then some future archeologist wouldn't need to know much about the electronics or controller. They might image the magnetic fields of the platters at 1000x the resolution and sensitivity of the drives original read/write electronics, then treat it like past archeologists might have treated a tablet with cuneiform.

AstralStorm 6y ago
At that point, you might record storage media and technology information at lower resolution to make it easy to read and easily identifiable. Like a text on how this thing works engraved on it, with a magnifying glass. We partially do that on product labels that say you should open it only in high vacuum or laminar chamber. (Simplified to "do not open" for normal people.)
- Someone 6y ago
  The LongNow foundation has thought about that, too. They start of with “how would people be able to understand that text?”. See https://blog.longnow.org/02012/10/12/decoding-long-term-data-storage/ https://blog.longnow.org/02012/10/12/decoding-long-term-data.... I remember reading about a project that started with instructions on how to build a stage 1 instrument (a microscope, IIRC) that allows you to read the instructions to build a stage 2 instrument that allows you to read the instructions to build a stage 3 instrument, etc. but cannot find it.
  - selfhoster11 6y ago
    Is this the one you are referring to? https://rosettaproject.org/disk/concept/ https://rosettaproject.org/disk/concept/
    - Someone 6y ago
      No. That doesn’t describe technology needed to read it, and doesn’t require different tech (only better and better eyes). There was a way more convoluted one. Maybe it was a SF story.
  - thequux 6y ago
    Sounds kind of like this paper from 2015[1], which has been a source of inspiration for me for the last 5 years since I read it. [1] https://archive.org/details/tr2015004_cuneiform/ https://archive.org/details/tr2015004_cuneiform/
    - Someone 6y ago
      Thanks! It’s not what I remember, but interesting, nevertheless.

AstralStorm 6y ago

At that point, you might record storage media and technology information at lower resolution to make it easy to read and easily identifiable. Like a text on how this thing works engraved on it, with a magnifying glass. We partially do that on product labels that say you should open it only in high vacuum or laminar chamber. (Simplified to "do not open" for normal people.)

Someone 6y ago
The LongNow foundation has thought about that, too. They start of with “how would people be able to understand that text?”. See https://blog.longnow.org/02012/10/12/decoding-long-term-data-storage/ https://blog.longnow.org/02012/10/12/decoding-long-term-data.... I remember reading about a project that started with instructions on how to build a stage 1 instrument (a microscope, IIRC) that allows you to read the instructions to build a stage 2 instrument that allows you to read the instructions to build a stage 3 instrument, etc. but cannot find it.
- selfhoster11 6y ago
  Is this the one you are referring to? https://rosettaproject.org/disk/concept/ https://rosettaproject.org/disk/concept/
  - Someone 6y ago
    No. That doesn’t describe technology needed to read it, and doesn’t require different tech (only better and better eyes). There was a way more convoluted one. Maybe it was a SF story.
- thequux 6y ago
  Sounds kind of like this paper from 2015[1], which has been a source of inspiration for me for the last 5 years since I read it. [1] https://archive.org/details/tr2015004_cuneiform/ https://archive.org/details/tr2015004_cuneiform/
  - Someone 6y ago
    Thanks! It’s not what I remember, but interesting, nevertheless.