How to Preserve Documents: A Short Meditation on Three Themes

Jan Petr, Václav Ranc, Vítězslav Maier, Pavlína Ginterová, Joanna Znaleziona, Radim Knob and Juraj Ševčík
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Jan Petr: Regional Centre for Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Václav Ranc: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Vítězslav Maier: Regional Centre for Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Pavlína Ginterová: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Joanna Znaleziona: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Radim Knob: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Juraj Ševčík: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic

Challenges, 2011, vol. 2, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: The capability to present electronic media that can preserve information is highly restricted to few decades (e.g., a lifetime of DVD media does not exceed 100 years), and therefore the question of how to preserve documents for more than thousands or millions of years presents a challenging task. In this article, we discuss three thinkable possibilities for long-term data storage: (i) self-assembly systems, (ii) chirality, and (iii) nucleic acids. These systems have, in our opinion, added-value regarding functionality and storing capability. Self-assembly systems form 3D structures, which could reflect any information more precisely than a 2D structure, and therefore they could be used as a training information package. Chirality provides the next added value in the possibility of using an interval of for storing the data (fuzzy logic) and could be also interesting in increasing the storage capacity if using compounds with more chiral centers, such as polysaccharides. Finally, nucleic acids represent a method of storage in which the reading step is developed and probably will be still active if people inhabit the Earth, which will realize the whole process of writing/storing and reading easier.

Keywords: human document project; information; preservation; self-assembly systems; chirality; nucleic acids (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A00 C00 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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