# Are we ever going to store data in crystals?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412 "2003-01-09T01:26:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412/1 "2003-01-09T01:26:18Z")

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Or is it just a Sci-Fi pipedream. And how would it work, anyway? Aren’t CDs still having their data stored on magnetic stuff?

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**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412/2 "2003-01-09T01:44:18Z")

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We store data in crystals already. DRAM data is tiny regions of electric charge stored on the surface of thin slices of single-crystal silicon.  
Alternate question: when are we going to store data throughout a volume, rather than only on a surface.

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**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412/3 "2003-01-09T01:51:15Z")

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Actually CDs and DVDs are not magnetic. The data are stored as little bumps created by a laser on a polished aluminum substrate.

> **[How CDs Work](https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cd.htm)**
>
> Before compact discs, you had to rewind and fast-forward to get to a particular bit of information. Not so with digital storage -- the CD makes pinpointing data a split-second task. Find out how CDs (and CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs) hold and let you retri

You can pass a strong magnet next to a CD or DVD and the data still remains unharmed.

Data stored in cystals require holographic imprinting which science hasnt quite perfected yet. There are a few universities trying it but I forget which (Stanford is one…I think) Just dont expect to use Isolinear chips on your computer anytime soon.

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**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412/4 "2003-01-11T00:59:37Z")

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This can’t be new technology!! The gypsy down the street says she can see my whole life in her crystal ball…  
😃

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**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412/5 "2003-01-11T01:13:33Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*\*  
> Actually CDs and DVDs are not magnetic.

\*\*

Did someone say they were?

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**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-ever-going-to-store-data-in-crystals/147412/6 "2003-01-11T01:15:02Z")

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Ack nevermind, misread the OP…