Self-assembling nanoscale discovery could catapult data storage capacity
By Darren Murph 
posted March 1st 2009 6:52AM
posted March 1st 2009 6:52AM
Ready to have your mind blown? What if 250 DVDs could fit onto a storage module no larger than a quarter? According to research conducted by brilliant geeks at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it's all within the realm of feasibility. Reportedly, an easily implemented technique "in which nanoscale elements precisely assemble themselves over large surfaces" could soon blow open the doors to significant improvements in data storage capacity. Without getting too Ph.D on you, the process essentially works by taking advantage of just how precise molecules can self-assemble. The end result has researchers achieving "defect-free arrays of nanoscopic elements with feature sizes as small as 3 nanometers, translating into densities of 10 terabits per square inch." Per square inch, son.[Via TheStandard, thanks Apoc]
I can finally fulfill my dream of downloading the entire internet!
why would you want to?
Woah, Darkstar already said that.
This is not going to be really useful (at least at it's full potential) until some company comes out with a better way to store and retrieve information than "folders" It gets to a point even with 1TB drives that people save something and then forget what sub-sub-sub-sub folder they buried it in.
People keep coming out with all sorts of research on storage upgrades, but most of it is so far away from being a reality for anyone, much less for consumers.
Don't forget, sure, you can use folders, but you can partition your drive into multiple drives, therefore Negating the need to for sub-sub-sub-folders. Larger technology doesn't mean people get dumber, just gives them more space to work with ;)
As for the naysayers.. I'm a photographer and digital video editor. Over the last 2 years, I have taken almost 40,000 digital images. That took up a GOOD chunk of space let me tell you. But I knew where all my images were based on a good filing system. I *want* more space. Imagine a 1TB compact flash card for your camera, or a built in hard drive for the camera.
This new tech would change a LOT of devices and the way we handle data!
Not mind blowing. Anyone living in this age and following technology should be used to advances like this.
Now, if they use sub atomic particles instead, it would store much much more (not sure if that's even theoretically possible right now).
err.. You already had a post about this on Feb. 20. Different source, but same story..
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/nanotech-research-could-fit-10-5tb-of-data-onto-disk-the-size-of/