# organic data storage



## Chimeco (Mar 9, 2005)

I'm looking for a concept/way to store data in a semi-organic container.  As of today, data pretty much gets stored on slabs of silicon.  And in the near likely future, a carbon nanotube, silicon mix.  
I'm looking for an idea basically.  I guess I'm describing a computer that has organic properties to it.  A parody of a brain, something not quite as efficient, part mechanical or inert.  If anyone knows or has heard of any research in organic material that has the property to "store" information, tossed around in sci-fi what if forums or just in the news, then let me know.  it's for another wip.


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## Brian G Turner (Mar 10, 2005)

The placement of specific elements on a molecular chain, could be one method.

I believe its been a staple part of speculative fiction to imagine some form of code already pre-built in DNA, that could be comprehensible to humans, with the right decoding.


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## Chimeco (Mar 10, 2005)

that's exactly the sort of brain generating ideas I'm looking for.  I might use that one.


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## Leto (Mar 10, 2005)

I think there were experiment with slugs. Have a look on Slashdot.org or theregister.co.uk to have a first hint for your research.


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## eccles_1960 (Mar 11, 2005)

Wasn't that idea used in Star Trek Voyager?
I remember something about bio-neural gel packs or some such, which copied the workings of the human nervous system.


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## dwndrgn (Mar 11, 2005)

The possibilities are unlimited when you think of the amount of data stored in DNA.  All you'd have to do is genetically reconfigure the cell organization of plants.  Take out unnecessary duplications to get extra space and a way to get that info out of and into the storage 'area' and there you go.  Into could be through mineral cells delivered through water.  Out of could be as simple as extracting a cell and scanning the dna patterns into a computer.  Next step is keeping the poor thing alive  something I can't seem to do.


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## Tsujigiri (Mar 11, 2005)

If it doesn't have to be biological you could consider light matrix storage devices. Basically light held within a state of fixed linear progression would be able to hold as either particulate or wavelength information many billions of terabytes.
All it would take it the machinery to build such a storage method.


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## Rane Longfox (Mar 11, 2005)

I believe it is now possible for information to be stored in black holes. I'm not entriely sure about the details, but Steven Hawking recently conceded a bet about it, so it must be something significant. Basically a thing called Hawking radiation, which is the only thing to escape from a Black Hole, and it can store information because of string theory. It's all very complicated, and probably not relevent, but quite interesting


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## Leto (Mar 11, 2005)

For an use of this theory in the fiction field, check Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.


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