In the past couple of decades computers have become the main source of data storage. Not only for person information, but also our general ideas and thoughts get blogged instead of put into some notebook that may have some use to a future generation. The most valuable ancient texts we have today were written on sheep skins and have held up admirably against the years. These texts were so important not because they answered any questions but instead gave great insight into the way in which folks lived back in their time.
This 'information age' we all live in is based on non-independent technology. What I mean by that is ink, parchment and language/symbols are independent technologies. Once created they will last (if stored properly) virtually forever. Further, even if the "language" it was written originally dies out, future peoples can relearn it from just small portions of texts. Electronic data storage is dependant on electricity and sub-systems of proper circuitry and programing to access it. And even then, as we all know, data storage is at best shaky at this time. By no means are CD and DVD designed to last more than 20 years.
For instance I was listening to a podcast (Mysterious Universe, Mind Shots episode 15) it spoke of a University that had stored data on laser disks back in the 70's because they seemed to be the future of data storage. Twenty years later when the University needed to review some of this data there was no laser disk player to be found. They eventually solved their problem but that is just 20 years.
When the future looks back on this time there may be little to find out about how the individual lived their lives, what we thought about things and how we lived day to day in general.
Information storage is the only reason we are progressing as a civilization. Whether it is stories handed down around the camp fire teaching lessons of survival, or texts on how molecules react to different outside effects, it is all designed to help each individual assimilate information rapidly so we don't waste our lives doing what has been done before, but build on the already existing knowledge base.
I guess all I got here is this... Why don't we ask for more from our corporate masters. Some solid state data storage. Something that is permanent and independent of codes and computer language. Something on skins maybe...I could think of a few skins right off the top of my head that I would love to write history on. :-)
This 'information age' we all live in is based on non-independent technology. What I mean by that is ink, parchment and language/symbols are independent technologies. Once created they will last (if stored properly) virtually forever. Further, even if the "language" it was written originally dies out, future peoples can relearn it from just small portions of texts. Electronic data storage is dependant on electricity and sub-systems of proper circuitry and programing to access it. And even then, as we all know, data storage is at best shaky at this time. By no means are CD and DVD designed to last more than 20 years.
For instance I was listening to a podcast (Mysterious Universe, Mind Shots episode 15) it spoke of a University that had stored data on laser disks back in the 70's because they seemed to be the future of data storage. Twenty years later when the University needed to review some of this data there was no laser disk player to be found. They eventually solved their problem but that is just 20 years.
When the future looks back on this time there may be little to find out about how the individual lived their lives, what we thought about things and how we lived day to day in general.
Information storage is the only reason we are progressing as a civilization. Whether it is stories handed down around the camp fire teaching lessons of survival, or texts on how molecules react to different outside effects, it is all designed to help each individual assimilate information rapidly so we don't waste our lives doing what has been done before, but build on the already existing knowledge base.
I guess all I got here is this... Why don't we ask for more from our corporate masters. Some solid state data storage. Something that is permanent and independent of codes and computer language. Something on skins maybe...I could think of a few skins right off the top of my head that I would love to write history on. :-)
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