Let’s imagine we are watching a spy movie. If our protagonist was chasing a piece of paper three-quarters of the way through the movie and then said, “What matters is not what is written on the paper, but what is recorded in the ink used while writing,” this scene would seem unrealistic to many. Scientists have succeeded in doing just that.
Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin managed to load data on the chemical structure of the ink. By uploading data to special polymers contained in the ink, the researchers were thus able to save the Wizard of Oz book for your ink.
Storing data on polymers
In the article published in the journal ACS Central Science, the researchers explained how they managed to engrave 256-bit encryption codes into plastic-like material. This material was specially developed in the laboratory by the team of researchers.
Professor of chemistry Eric Anslyn, one of the leaders of the research, says that it is important to be able to store data in the smallest possible space in a durable and readable way. Ansyln and his team are taking an important step in this area by copying the 256-bit encrypted version of The Wizard of Oz into ink.
Decoding data created with a 256-bit encryption system is almost impossible even with today’s fastest computers. By synthesizing a long chain of monomers, the researchers designed each monomer as one of 16 different symbols. Later, the book that was coded with these symbols could be decoded by another institution without any problems and in the first attempt.
Data storage by creating this type of data series has many potential uses. Considering that quantum computers can decode standard 8-bit passwords in seconds, we may need to save the passwords in different items. In addition, the large amount of energy and processing power required to store data can be stored. Maybe in the future these methods will be used to create the DNA of computers, who knows?
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