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Digital Planet: Archiving music in glass

Factual: Science & Nature

Music stored in fused silica glass

14/06/2022 GMT

Archiving music in glass

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, Archiving music in glass

Using ultrafast laser optics, a new technique means music data can be stored in glass.

Storing music data in glass; data-driven city planning in Barcelona.

‘Project Silica’ uses ultrafast laser optics and machine learning to utilise glass as a storage device. The fused silica glass is fully resilient to electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and to the most challenging environmental conditions, ensuring the data written into it is not degraded. In this proof of concept for the Global Music Vault in Svalbard, this glass platter will have a selection of some of the most important music data and files on it. Gareth talks to Ant Rowstron, who has been working on the technology at Microsoft, and Beatie Wolfe, a musician whose music has been included in the data storage proof of concept.

Data-driven city planning
Barcelona is developing a digital twin of its city to aid with city management decisions. The city is currently at the initial stage of the project, designed to produce simulations of different planning scenarios to create more data-driven decisions. Gareth chats to Deputy Mayor of Barcelona Laia Bonet and Patricio Reyes, a researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, about the potential uses of simulations and how digital twins could improve city planning in the future. 

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Ghislaine Boddington.

Studio Manager: Steve Greenwood
Producer: Hannah Fisher


Photo: Music stored in fused silica glass 
Credit: Global Music Vault

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