Storing data in a photon

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So...  Is that new 500gb hard drive just not doing it for you anymore?  Want something bigger?  How about the possibility of storing thousands, if not millions of gigabytes in the space no bigger than a matchbox or smaller?

Well, scientists are getting closer.  The have found a way to store an entire image onto a single proton, slow it down for storage, then retrieve it again.

From the article: “It sort of sounds impossible, but instead of storing just ones and zeros, we're storing an entire image,” says John Howell, assistant professor of physics and leader of the team that created the device. ”It's analogous to the difference between snapping a picture with a single pixel and doing it with a camera—this is like a 6-megapixel camera.”

As it says in the comments,
Wave-particle duality FTW!

So instead of storing data like they do now, you are basically creating the human mind, in some aspects.  Terminator theorists, begin the preaching.

Posted by Ensellitis at 1/22/2007 7:26:15 PM | 10 comments | Source

What do you think?

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Aramax (Level 1 Rookie) at 1/27/2007 6:40:32 PM

The durability of a proton is a big issue since protons are not entirely stable.

Data stored on protons would transform into neutrons as soon as enough energy is supplied. I doubt that the data would survive such drastic change.


skeddles (Level 9 Necrophiliac) at 1/23/2007 3:26:24 PM
why do we need this? soon we will be able to fit the entire internet in a match box.

Bifur (Level 1 Rookie) at 1/23/2007 1:46:53 PM
im stuck with my 10 gb hd =(

Monkey 'o Doom (Level 11 Psychopath) at 1/23/2007 12:34:08 PM
Ahahaha, good catch, Eq. I maintain that I was half-asleep and can't be held accountable for my typography issues.

Lawrence (Level 10 Operative) at 1/23/2007 10:51:33 AM
This is quite interesting. They should bloody hurry up and make 100 terrabyte iPod!

Equinoxx (Level 3 Stalker) at 1/23/2007 6:02:35 AM
MoD, you typed Pronon instead of Proton which in turn should've been Photon ...

pmprog (Level 4 Murderer) at 1/23/2007 5:00:53 AM
If you read the article, the correct word is photon, needs to change the proton word

Monkey 'o Doom (Level 11 Psychopath) at 1/23/2007 4:43:44 AM

You typoed photon into pronon, you might want to fix that. :p

Interesting, but looks pretty lossy from the pictures.


Equinoxx (Level 3 Stalker) at 1/23/2007 12:16:19 AM
wicked

Skull (Level 11 CEO) at 1/22/2007 11:17:54 PM
And there's me thinking Photons are stupid bits of emmited energy.. :p

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