In a scenario that appears more like science fiction than science, researchers at the University of Southampton in Great Britain say they have stored the full human genome on a crystal that they predict will last for billions of years.
Their work is designed to potentially serve as a genetic blueprint to resurrect humanity in the distant future, should our species face extinction. The genetic information has been etched onto a recently invented, highly durable crystal with unparalleled resistance to degradation.
A Blueprint for Resurrection
The researchers have stored the full human genome on a 5D memory crystal, which is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit and extreme freezing conditions.A genome encompasses all the genetic information of a living organism, consisting of DNA nucleotide sequences.
Filing Data for Eons
The idea to preserve humanity’s genetic code stemmed from the necessity to develop an enduring storage medium capable of safeguarding critical information for future generations, according to Kazansky.
“As the volume of accumulated data continues to expand, the challenge of ensuring its long-term preservation becomes increasingly urgent,” he said. “The human genome represents the pinnacle of this preservation effort.”
The scientists are also working on archiving the entire contents of Wikipedia and other records of human history and achievements. The researchers said in their statement that it is not possible to synthetically create humans, plants, and animals using genetic information alone, but there have been major advances in synthetic biology in recent years. They said the creation of a synthetic bacterium in 2008 is an example of progress in this field.
Breaking the Hardness Record
The 5D memory crystals, developed at the Optoelectronics Centre, hold the Guinness World Record for the most durable data storage substance. Kazansky is listed as one of the creators of the substance. The crystals are designated as “5D” because their encoding method involves two optical dimensions and three spatial coordinates.These crystals can store up to 360 terabytes of information for approximately 13.8 billion years. Each terabyte (TB) can store about 75 million pages of documents, with 360 TB holding about 27 billion document pages. The crystal could contain about 450,000 books, each with 200 pages, 350 words on each page.
Preciousness of Human Life and Knowledge
Kazansky said there could be future entities that could use these codes, including advanced civilizations, that have reached a level of sophistication enabling them to interpret and reconstruct genetic information.With today’s news headlines featuring ongoing conflicts and the possibility of large-scale wars, the preservation work could help world leaders think about the fate of the human race, he said.
“Our work underscores the fragility and preciousness of human life and knowledge,” Kazansky said.
Despite his team’s efforts to preserve humanity’s genetic legacy, he said he is optimistic about our resilience as a people.
“While extinction is a possibility in the distant future due to unforeseen catastrophic events, our project focuses on preserving our legacy regardless of what may come,” Kazansky said.
James Spencer, a theologian and author of the book “Useful to God,” said he does not believe the human race is heading for extinction.
“From a biblical and theological perspective, we see a new creation populated by a redeemed human race,” he told The Epoch Times.
Spencer, who believes in the eternal destiny of humanity, said one concern that he would have about a new group of future people would be possible differences in their character.
“It isn’t at all clear that restarting the human race would necessarily involve a recognition of, for example, human dignity. From a Christian theological perspective, humans are made in the image of God,” he said. “Even if it were possible to restart the human race via some genetic process, it isn’t clear that ‘copying’ genetic patterns would necessarily produce the same sort of being. Being able to manipulate genetics to produce a being materially the same as human beings today does not necessarily mean that we understand or hope to duplicate humanness as we see it. There could very well be ingredients missing.”
The Memory of Man Archive is designed so the human race’s rebirth could begin with the crystal’s discovery, Kazansky said. To help those who care to attempt this endeavor find the crystal, exact coordinates would be preserved in many different locations.
“While salt mines are known to slowly contract due to the pliability of salt rock, this process is unlikely to damage the archive itself,” Kazansky said. “Over time, some cavities may remain intact, detectable by specialized equipment. Alternatively, natural erosion could eventually bring the archive back to the surface in millions of years.”
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