HD-Rosetta
Encyclopedia
High-Density Rosetta is a permanent data storage device which contains engraved microscopic information on a small 2" nickel
plate. Up to 196,000 8.5x11" pages of information can be stored onto the plate using a focused ion beam
. The image capacity for an HD-Rosetta disc can range from 10,000 to 100,000 images on a 4096 by 4096 pixel x vs. y plane. Similar to hieroglyphics and microfilm, HD-Rosetta is used for preserving information. Norsam Technologies has made HD-Rosetta extremely durable, compared to most archival data devices. It has an estimated longevity of 10000 years, and it can withstand a minimum of 1000 years. HD-Rosetta has also been used for purposes other than archival. De Beers
has currently used HD-Rosetta technology to provide clear marking on diamonds and other gemstones. HD-Rosetta does not require any specific software or operating systems to read the information; The information engraved onto the HD-Rosetta disc is easily accessed with a microscope
.
, with the focused ion beam. The focused ion beam forces gallium ions
down the main chamber and onto the surface of contact. At the point of contact, atoms from the nickel surface of HD-Rosetta are knocked off the plate; Essentially, an etch is made.
After lightly milling or doping
the surface, the mills are chemically treated. This speeds up the writing process by 100 times.
would be utilized. For 5,000 between 18,0000 pages, an optical microscope
would be used. To locate information rapidly, Norsam Technologies has developed a special HD-Rosetta reader to locate x,y,z coordinates. By simply typing a page number, the HD-Rosetta reader can locate the appropiate information and display it on a screen.
. The purpose was to develop a permanent data storage disc that would withstand nuclear war. Primarily focusing on archiving information, HD-Rosetta is thought as a method for preserving history. In 1999, the New York Times
used HD-Rosetta for their "Times Capsule". Their HD-Rosetta disk contains six New York Times Millennium Issues. The disk, along with acid-free archival paper, was put in a container filled with Argon gas
. Hoping to increase longevity of the disk and capsule, the subcontainer was suspended in thermal-gel insulation
. The Times Capsule, along with a HD-Rosetta disc, currently resides in the American Museum of Natural History
.
has begun the Rosetta Project
, an archival project wishing to preserve history onto HD-Rosetta. This project seeks to gather important information and preserve the human language onto HD-Rosetta. The Longs Foundation has entered languages, collections of literature, known cures for diseases, and blueprints for technology on the Rosetta Disc.
have cross-licensed to provide clear markings on diamonds and other gemstones.
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
plate. Up to 196,000 8.5x11" pages of information can be stored onto the plate using a focused ion beam
Focused ion beam
Focused ion beam, also known as FIB, is a technique used particularly in the semiconductor industry, materials science and increasingly in the biological field for site-specific analysis, deposition, and ablation of materials. An FIB setup is a scientific instrument that resembles a scanning...
. The image capacity for an HD-Rosetta disc can range from 10,000 to 100,000 images on a 4096 by 4096 pixel x vs. y plane. Similar to hieroglyphics and microfilm, HD-Rosetta is used for preserving information. Norsam Technologies has made HD-Rosetta extremely durable, compared to most archival data devices. It has an estimated longevity of 10000 years, and it can withstand a minimum of 1000 years. HD-Rosetta has also been used for purposes other than archival. De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
has currently used HD-Rosetta technology to provide clear marking on diamonds and other gemstones. HD-Rosetta does not require any specific software or operating systems to read the information; The information engraved onto the HD-Rosetta disc is easily accessed with a microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
.
Writing Process
To record information on HD-Rosetta, special formatting and tools must be used during the writing process. First, information is converted to digital format, or Norsam Technologies receives information in digital format. Digital format is required so the information could be written in microns, pixel by pixelPixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
, with the focused ion beam. The focused ion beam forces gallium ions
Gallium
Gallium is a chemical element that has the symbol Ga and atomic number 31. Elemental gallium does not occur in nature, but as the gallium salt in trace amounts in bauxite and zinc ores. A soft silvery metallic poor metal, elemental gallium is a brittle solid at low temperatures. As it liquefies...
down the main chamber and onto the surface of contact. At the point of contact, atoms from the nickel surface of HD-Rosetta are knocked off the plate; Essentially, an etch is made.
After lightly milling or doping
Doping
Doping is generally the practice of adding impurities to something.* Doping is a term for the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport or blood doping, often to improve athletic performance....
the surface, the mills are chemically treated. This speeds up the writing process by 100 times.
Reading Process
While HD-Rosetta disc can be accessed with a microscope, depending on the size of the etchings, different types of microscopes may be needed. For less than 196,000 pages, a scanning electron microscopeScanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...
would be utilized. For 5,000 between 18,0000 pages, an optical microscope
Optical microscope
The optical microscope, often referred to as the "light microscope", is a type of microscope which uses visible light and a system of lenses to magnify images of small samples. Optical microscopes are the oldest design of microscope and were possibly designed in their present compound form in the...
would be used. To locate information rapidly, Norsam Technologies has developed a special HD-Rosetta reader to locate x,y,z coordinates. By simply typing a page number, the HD-Rosetta reader can locate the appropiate information and display it on a screen.
History
HD-Rosetta was first developed in the Los Alamos National LaboratoryLos Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
. The purpose was to develop a permanent data storage disc that would withstand nuclear war. Primarily focusing on archiving information, HD-Rosetta is thought as a method for preserving history. In 1999, the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
used HD-Rosetta for their "Times Capsule". Their HD-Rosetta disk contains six New York Times Millennium Issues. The disk, along with acid-free archival paper, was put in a container filled with Argon gas
Argon
Argon is a chemical element represented by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table . Argon is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere, at 0.93%, making it more common than carbon dioxide...
. Hoping to increase longevity of the disk and capsule, the subcontainer was suspended in thermal-gel insulation
Thermal insulation
Thermal insulation is the reduction of the effects of the various processes of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Heat transfer is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature...
. The Times Capsule, along with a HD-Rosetta disc, currently resides in the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
.
Rosetta Project
Recently, the Long Now FoundationLong Now Foundation
The Long Now Foundation, established in 1996, is a private organization that seeks to become the seed of a very long-term cultural institution. It aims to provide a counterpoint to what it views as today's "faster/cheaper" mindset and to promote "slower/better" thinking...
has begun the Rosetta Project
Rosetta Project
The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers working to develop a contemporary version of the historic Rosetta Stone to last from 2000 to 12,000 AD; it is run by the Long Now Foundation. Its goal is a meaningful survey and near permanent archive of 1,500...
, an archival project wishing to preserve history onto HD-Rosetta. This project seeks to gather important information and preserve the human language onto HD-Rosetta. The Longs Foundation has entered languages, collections of literature, known cures for diseases, and blueprints for technology on the Rosetta Disc.
Norsam Technologies
Norsam Technologies currently holds the patent for HD-Rosetta. Founded on October 5, 1995, Norsam Technologies was first developed by John Bishop and two Los Alamos Researchers, Roger Stutz and Dr. Bruce Lamartine. Using HD-Rosetta technology, Norsam Technologies and De BeersDe Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
have cross-licensed to provide clear markings on diamonds and other gemstones.
Advantages
HD-Rosestta advantages include:- Sustainability: Since HD-Rosetta is made of Nickel, it will never be affected by electromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
. - Durability: HD-Rosetta can withstand temperatures of up to 500°C, and can last at least 1,000 years.
- Withstands Technical Obsolescence: HD-Rosetta does not require any specific software or operating systems to read. If data is written in analog format, data can be easily translated.
- Minimal Processing Time: It takes 1/10th of a second to etch a page onto HD-Rosetta. And in 2 hours, Norsam's automated machines can etch about 7,000 pages onto the disc.
- Images: With the use of the focused ion beam, images and characters can be written by varying the time each pixel is milled for.
- Size: For a small size, it can store large amounts of data.
Disadvantages
HD-Rosetta disadvantages include:- Limited Accessibility: For high data densities, a scanning electron microscope would be required.
- Size: HD-Rosetta can easily be lost.
- Inconvenient: A scanning electron microscope and focused ion beam would be required to read the data. This technology is relatively large.