How does the readout work and how durable is this glass storage?

Readout uses LED illumination and microscopy to locate data positions across layers, enabling a full 3D reconstruction. The approach is touted for durability, but it remains a lab demonstration rather than a consumer-ready product.

How fast is the writing speed for silica glass storage?

The reported writing speed is about 4 megabytes per second, which is roughly 50 times slower than state-of-the-art hard drives, making it less practical for everyday backups but potentially suitable for long-term archiving.

Is data stored this way ready for consumer markets?

No—it's described as a lab demo rather than finished technology, and consumer-market availability is not expected soon due to the complexity and cost of the required equipment.

What other storage developments were mentioned besides silica?

The video discusses heat-assisted magnetic recording (HA-MR) to increase data density on HDDs and the emergence of MRAM (magnetic RAM) which retains data without power and offers faster access times.

What is MRAM and how does it improve memory?

MRAM stores data using electron spins and retains information even when power is removed, offering faster access times (nanoseconds) compared to traditional RAM, which speeds up performance in future devices.

What is the potential impact on everyday devices?

As storage technologies become denser and memory becomes faster, phones and computers are expected to be smaller and more efficient, enabling quicker workflows and better overall performance.

Breakthrough In Data Storage Could Store Your Photos for 10000 Years

Sabine Hossenfelder

Science & Technology5 min read7 min video

Mar 8, 2026|103,443 views|6,474|738

hossenfelder science with sabine science humour science news tech news tech data storage breakthrough data storage forever storage new data storage technology microsoft data storage project silica

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TL;DR

3D glass data storage could last 10,000 years; HAMR, MRAM, and future storage trends.

Key Insights

Microsoft's Project Silica stores data inside bulk glass by writing in 3D with a laser, not just on the surface.

The readout uses LED illumination and microscopy to reconstruct data from multiple depths and angles.

Durability is the key advantage: glass storage could potentially endure thousands of years, far surpassing many current media.

Current performance is experimental: data density is 2–4x by volume, but write speed (~4 MB/s) is much slower than modern drives.

This technology is likely to start as a cloud archival service rather than a consumer product due to equipment complexity and cost.

Near-term consumer-relevant storage advances include HAMR (heat-assisted magnetic recording) and MRAM for faster, non-volatile memory.

INTRODUCING PROJECT SILICA: STORING DATA IN GLASS

Microsoft's Project Silica aims to store data inside bulk glass by using a laser to write information within the material itself, not merely on its surface. By altering the glass's atomic configuration, researchers encode data in a way that can be read later through optical means. This approach leverages three-dimensional writing, enabling data to be placed throughout the volume of the glass rather than limited to a flat layer. The core idea is to create durable, multi-layer data channels that can survive long-term storage.

HOW GLASS STORAGE WORKS: WRITING IN 3D INSIDE THE BULK

The writing process uses a laser to induce subtle changes in the glass's internal structure, effectively encoding bits in a 3D grid. The changes affect either the refractive index or the light propagation characteristics (polarization-dependent effects) within the glass. Because writing occurs inside the bulk, data can be packed across multiple layers and directions. This volume-based encoding gives Silica the potential advantage of higher density and improved robustness compared to surface-etched optical media.

READING DATA FROM GLASS: LIGHT, LASERS, AND MICROSCOPES

To retrieve information, the glass is illuminated with visible-range LED light and scanned with a microscope. By focusing light at different depths and from multiple angles, researchers build a full 3D reconstruction of the stored data. This readout method relies on precise optical alignment and analysis to distinguish the encoded patterns. While readout is demonstrated in a controlled lab setting, practical deployment will require robust, scalable instrumentation and software to interpret the 3D data reliably.

DURABILITY AT SCALE: WHY GLASS COULD OUTLAST PLASTIC MEDIA

The primary motivation for glass storage is longevity. Glass is chemically stable and resistant to many environmental factors that degrade other media. In theory, data stored in this medium could persist for thousands of years, helping preserve digital memories across generations. This durability motif makes glass an attractive candidate for archival storage where media replacements would otherwise accumulate over long timescales. The trade-off is balancing durability with practical read/write capabilities and cost.

STORAGE DENSITY AND WRITE SPEED: WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

In the current demonstrations, the potential data density is about 2–4 times higher per volume than typical hard drives, suggesting meaningful gains for long-term archives. However, writing proceeds at roughly 4 megabytes per second, which is substantially slower—roughly 50x slower—than modern state-of-the-art drives. Readout speed remains less clearly stated in public results. These metrics indicate glass storage is promising for durability, but not yet a practical everyday alternative to conventional storage.

REALITY CHECK: LAB DEMO VS. CONSUMER PRODUCT

The technology is still in the lab and not ready for consumer markets. The write/read system requires specialized, expensive equipment and highly controlled conditions. While improvements are plausible, widespread adoption would likely begin as a cloud archival service for organizations and individuals seeking ultra-long-term preservation rather than a personal external drive. The path from a laboratory demonstration to a mass-market product involves significant engineering, standardization, and cost reductions.

COMPARING STORAGE PATHS: GLASS VS. DNA STORAGE

Glass storage competes with other durable storage concepts, such as DNA-based storage, which has also been explored for longevity. In practice, glass is currently more straightforward to integrate with existing optical readout concepts and may reach practical deployments sooner as a cloud archival service. DNA storage could offer density advantages, but its protocol and stability challenges render glass a more immediately appealing option for long-term archiving in the near term.

NEAR-FUTURE STORAGE TRENDS: HEAT-ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING (HAMR)

Beyond glass, the talk covers advances in conventional magnetic storage, notably heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). HAMR uses a tiny laser to briefly heat the writing region, lowering the energy barrier to flip magnetic bits. This enables higher data densities on traditional discs while managing thermal noise. The concept represents a practical path to more compact, higher-capacity hard drives without abandoning the familiar magnetic recording paradigm.

HAMR IN THE MARKET: SEAGATE AND WESTERN DIGITAL

The initial HAMR-enabled hard drives are being commercialized by Seagate, with Western Digital pursuing similar efforts. These products aim to achieve higher densities and storage capacities by using heat-assisted writing to stabilize smaller magnetic domains. While promising for PC storage and data centers, HAMR is still rolling out commercially, and widespread consumer adoption will hinge on reliability, cost, and integration with existing storage ecosystems.

MRAM: MAGNETIC RESISTIVE RAM AND ITS PROMISE

MRAM (magnetic resistive RAM) is highlighted as another major development. Unlike traditional RAM, MRAM stores information in electron spins and retains data without power. It also offers faster access times, potentially reducing latency from tens of nanoseconds to a few nanoseconds. If MRAM scales as expected, devices could shrink in size, boot times could improve, and energy efficiency would rise, enabling more responsive mobile and embedded systems.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSUMERS: WHAT THIS MEANS FOR DEVICES

Taken together, these storage advances point to a future where devices become faster and more capable, with longer-lasting archives and denser storage. In the short term, HAMR and MRAM are more likely to impact commercial devices and data centers first, while glass-based archival storage could redefine long-term backups and heritage data. For consumers, these trends portend faster memory, increased on-device storage integrity, and powerful cloud archiving options for precious memories and large media libraries.

ADVERTISING SEGMENT: NODEVPN AND ONLINE PRIVACY PROMISES

The transcript closes with a lighthearted segue into online privacy tools. The host riffs on a bear-joke to introduce NodeVPN, an app claimed to secure internet connections and provide malware shielding. Features highlighted include global servers, location spoofing for region-locked content, and a special offer with a discount code. It also mentions a broader privacy stance, warning against fake shops and phishing. The ad underscores practical privacy choices alongside technological storage breakthroughs, ending with a promotional call to action.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Tools & Products

Common Questions

Project Silica is a Microsoft research initiative to store data inside bulk glass using a laser. The data is written in three dimensions and later read by illuminating the glass with visible light and scanning with a microscope to reconstruct the data layer by layer. (Content begins around 52s.)

Topics

Project Silica Glass Data Storage Durable Storage 3D Data Encoding Data Density Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording MRAM Seagate Western Digital Cloud Archiving DNA Storage (comparison)Future Of Data Storage

Mentioned in this video

toolMRAM

Magnetic resistive random access memory; stores information in electron spins and can retain data when power is off, with faster access times than traditional RAM.

toolHeat Assisted Magnetic Recording

Technique to temporarily heat the write area to flip magnetization, allowing higher data density on hard drives.

toolWestern Digital

Company working on a similar heat-assisted magnetic recording product.

toolProject Silica

Microsoft research project that writes data inside bulk glass with a laser, enabling 3D data storage and reading via LED illumination and microscopy.

toolSeagate

Company mentioned as the originator of heat-assisted magnetic recording hard drives in the discussion.