[Klug-general] Any help....

[Karl Lattimer]

On Fri, 2010-08-27 at 11:26 +0100, Mike Evans wrote: 
> >
> > On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 10:04 AM, Michael E. Rentell
> > <michael.rentell at ntlworld.com <mailto:michael.rentell at ntlworld.com>> wrote:
> >
> >      This year we are putting a notice on
> >     the CDs advising copying to a more reliable medium.
> >
> >     Not sure what that medium is though.
> >
> 
> The British Library currently has on display works in early English 
> published about 600 years ago.  The medium was paper and a coloured 
> deposit generally based on carbon (lamp-black) or ground minerals.  They 
> last very well provided light is limited - which is the norm in closed 
> books.  They tried transferring it to microfilm starting in 1938 - but 
> have found that medium somewhat less reliable than the original.  Some 
> lessons of history, it would seem, have yet to be learned.

Interesting story, reminds me of an article I read once about durability
of information. Which pointed out that; a hard drive will vanish from
existence due to corrosion in about 500-1000 years after 50 or so years
data will start becoming harder and harder to retrieve, a book, of
pulped cellulose tree matter will break down after a couple of decades
unless precautions are observed to preserve it. However, papyrus, in
alabaster jars will last for an eternity, as far as we can tell. 

AFAIK the oldest paper manuscripts in existence are about 2000 years old
(coptic gospels, gospel of judas, dead sea scrolls) and only part of the
information is recoverable, papyrus of 4500 years old is still entirely
readable. 

This was also related to the durability of language, and that danger
signs will probably be unreadable in a few hundred years as words,
phrases and communication change dramatically over time. This leaves an
interesting question in my mind... 

How to we inform future generations of something that's particularly
dangerous, e.g. radioactive waste dumps whose locations and functions
may be lost in the halls of time?

Food for thought ;)

K,