The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #122530 Message #2688759
Posted By: beardedbruce
28-Jul-09 - 10:48 AM
Thread Name: Digitising Analogue Recordings
Subject: RE: Digitising Analogue Recordings
Having watched manuy of the archival tapes from the space program of the 1960s become unreadable, I will offer this observation:
The only media tested and found to have a lifetime of multiple centuries was paper tape/mylar/paper tape. After over 500 years ( accellerated, of course) it was still mechanically readable.
But as can be seen by the contents of the pyramids, sometimes you get lucky with other media.
I favor etching onto a platinum/irridium substrate- even after the surface has worn off, the etching can be recovered by examination of the effects of cosmic rays on the material ( non-etched areas have less exposure)
But for now, I think keeping multiple copies ( in whatever media possible), and spreading them around, is the best we can do. Look af the Doomesday Book- if it lasts a thousand years somebody else can make copies if they decide it is worthwhile.