We’ve discussed before, on at least a couple occasions, some of the ways the Bible can be characterized as the most unique book in all of history. Aside from its construction (the Bible was written on three continents in three languages over 1,600 years by over 40 authors) it has been treated uniquely as well. It was the first book ever translated (about 250 BC) and is the most translated book ever (into over 1,200 languages), it was the first printed book and the most expensive book (for one of those first printings by Guttenberg). It was the first book read in space and now we can add to this impressive list, it is among the first books to be stored in five dimensions.

Using a form of laser etching, researchers at the UK’s University of Southampton have developed a method of storing data in crystalline structures estimated to hold its integrity for nearly 14 billion years.

It’s as near a permanent medium as mankind has ever developed, and among the first documents stored on this new medium is The Bible.

Called the “Superman Crystal” after the kind of data storage Superman uses in the comic books, the 21^st century reality writes data in height, width and depth and then assign values to the size of the dot and its alignment (5-differentiators, or dimensions). The method is so compressed that a crystal formed in the size of an average DVD could store 360 terabytes of data. For comparison, a standard DVD holds 4.7 Gigabytes; do the math and the new crystal holds roughly 75,000 times more data in the same space. As remarkable as the amount of data it can store is its near indestructability. Most forms of storage can last a few generations, if properly cared for, but the new Superman Crystal will hold its data with integrity for an estimated 13.8 billion years. Furthermore, the format can resist temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit).

Other documents stored on this revolutionary media are The Magna Carta, Opticks by Isaac Newton and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Photo Credit: U. of Southampton