Forward-looking: Data storage and archiving technologies are areas of particular interest for companies like Warner Bros., where a significant chunk of the world's entertainment media is produced and archived. To help with preserving this film and television content, Warner Bros. and Microsoft collaborated to give a first proof of concept test for Project Silica, a Microsoft Research project that uses laser optics and AI to store data in quartz glass.
A piece of silica glass measuring 7.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 2 mm was able to hold the entire Superman (1978) movie in the shape of three-dimensional nanoscale gratings and deformations as part of
Project Silica led by Microsoft Research, resulting in 75.6 GB of data inside the durable quartz glass that's no bigger than a drink coaster.
Redmond's research arm worked with Warner Bros. to store data by encoding it with laser and then used machine learning algorithms to decode images and patterns created by polarizing light as it shone through the glass.
"Storing the whole ‘Superman’ movie in glass and being able to read it out successfully is a major milestone," said Mark Russinovich, Azure's CTO. For Microsoft, the project focuses on developing long-term storage technologies for the cloud to meet exponential growing needs and shifting away from traditional magnetic media in favor of more durable silica glass.