Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered a way to store 360 Terabytes of data on a small glass disk. This glass disk the size of an American quarter can remain intact for up to 1000C, allowing it a shelf life for about 13.8 billion years when kept at room temperature. That’s as old as our universe! Data is written onto the glass disk using ultra-fast lasers which emit short but intense pulses of light. This is a breakthrough in the scientific field as many have said that storing data for highly extended periods of time was impossible, due to the fact that everything degrades eventually.
In other news, the Stanford University School of Medicine has successfully utilized stem cells to re-enable mobility in once wheelchair-bound stroke patients. The procedure (an injection) was performed without any detrimental effects aside from an anticipated mild headache. All 18 patients given this injection showed significant healing long after any healing is expected following a stroke. Such instances include increased mobility and the ability to walk again, as mentioned above. However, the use of stem cells in medical treatments still remain controversial, given its association with aborted fetuses.