Nuclear-Resistant Vault Preserves All Known Data Formats

Preparing for the future can be said to have taken on a whole-new meaning now that efforts are actually being made to preserve current knowledge. Ancient cultures passed on their knowledge, over the millennia, by carving it into stone and iron, or through artifacts. In current times, however, data is becoming increasingly digitized. While this means a wider availability, it also means a shorter lifespan. There is also the issue of evolving technology, which makes previous data formats obsolete.

To make sure that humanity's fast transition to newer technologies doesn't end up backfiring, a nuclear-resistant vault has been constructed under the surface of a Swiss mountain near Gstaad. Dubbed the 'Swiss Fort Knox,' the ongoing project has been cataloging every data format that exists, or existed (CD, DVD, floppy disk, Blu-ray, etc.), and will allow future generations to understand and decode them. Essentially, the vault will house a time capsule loaded with the key to all these technologies.

"The time capsule being deposited inside Swiss Fort Knox contains the digital equivalent of the genetic code of different data formats, a 'digital genome,'" Adam Farquhar of the British Library said. "Einstein's notebooks you can take down off the shelf and read them today. Roll forward 50 years and most of Stephen Hawking's notes will likely only be stored digitally and we might not be able to access them all."

"Unlike hieroglyphics carved in stone or ink on parchment, digital data has a shelf life of years not millennia," the University of Technology of Vienna's Prof. Andreas Rauber stated. "Failure to implement adequate digital preservation measures now could cost us billions in the future."

This plan comes as the culmination of the 'Planets Project,' a four-year plan that has been gathering data from 16 of the largest and most important European Libraries, archives and research institutions. The capsule will be left behind the nuke-proof sealed door for the next 25 years.