Microsoft unveils how tiny glass plates could save world’s digital history

Microsoft researchers have developed Project Silica, a groundbreaking data storage technology that encodes vast amounts of digital information within tiny glass plates. Using a high-speed femtosecond laser, microscopic 3D voxels are etched inside fused silica or borosilicate glass, enabling storage of up to 4.84 terabytes on a 12-square-centimeter, 2-millimeter-thick pane—equivalent to about two million printed books. Unlike conventional magnetic or optical media that degrade over years, this glass-based system is chemically inert and can preserve data for over 10,000 years, even under extreme conditions such as high temperatures, water exposure, and electromagnetic pulses. Data retrieval involves scanning the glass layers with an automated microscope, followed by machine-learning algorithms that decode the stored patterns back into digital form. While the technology offers exceptional durability and longevity, it is currently intended for large-scale cloud providers and national archives rather than consumer use, due to the specialized infrastructure required for writing and reading