February 21, 2026
Immortal files, mortal write speeds?
Microsoft team creates 'revolutionary' data storage system that lasts millennia
Glass forever? Devs cheer, then roast the speeds, patents, and 'Will it run on Linux'
TLDR: Microsoft’s laser‑etched glass promises 10,000‑year storage for 4.8 TB slabs, but commenters immediately pounced on glacial write speeds, unclear lifespan math, and worries about patents and Linux support. Big win for long‑term archives, but the community says practicality and openness will decide if this shatters expectations or just the hype.
Microsoft says it can stash your data in a slice of ovenware glass for at least 10,000 years, and the internet briefly went starry‑eyed… then immediately asked for receipts. A researcher posted the full Nature paper, another linked the HN thread, and the crowd dove into the fine print like it was a season finale.
The wow: lasers fire ultra‑short bursts to etch tiny marks inside borosilicate glass, packing up to 4.8 TB (about two million books) into a 12 cm square that doesn’t need power or cooling. The drama: one commenter asked why the lifespan is quoted at a toasty 290°C when testing went hotter, sparking a debate about “accelerated aging” math versus marketing heat‑flex.
Then came the speed roast. A popular take compared write speeds to a sleepy Blu‑ray, estimating it could take 7–18 days to fill a single slab, with no read speed given. Bonus ribbing: a deadpan “glass prices stable,” and a cheeky query about whether to store it vertically or horizontally—classic disc‑nerd humor. Finally, the eternal chorus: patents and platforms. Will mere mortals ever buy the burners, and yes, will it run on Linux? The vibe: amazing for museums and mega‑archives, but maybe your grandkids will be the ones to finally finish writing your cat pics.
Key Points
- •Microsoft demonstrated a borosilicate glass archival storage system that stores 4.8 TB on a 12 cm, 2 mm-thick square.
- •Data are encoded by ultrashort laser-induced nano-deformations and read by microscope via optical changes.
- •Testing indicates at least 10,000 years of data readability at 290 °C, likely far longer at room temperature.
- •The medium is immutable once written and requires no temperature control or maintenance, targeting archival backup.
- •Published in Nature, the work advances Project Silica with practicality improvements over prior fused-silica approaches.