Scientists in the United Kingdom have stored the entire human genome on a “5D memory crystal,” in the hope that it could be used in the future as a blueprint to bring humanity back from extinction.

Scientists have created "a form of information immortality" meant to instruct future species on how to recreate humans. But who, or what, will find it?

For now, the human genome-encoded “5D memory crystal” is stored in the Memory of Mankind archive, a time capsule project located within the world’s oldest salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria. If all goes as planned, it will remain until potentially needed—hopefully never.

The entire human genome – all 3 billion or so base pairs – has been stored on a tiny, 5D memory crystal built to last for billions of years. In theory, should humans go extinct, this little chip could provide a blueprint to bring us back – providing the technology to do so has materialized by then.

Scientists store human genome on crystal which can last billions of years - The University of Southampton team hopes the data could be used to bring humans back from extinction in the future.

A team of researchers at the University of Southampton say they have etched the full human genome onto a 5D memory crystal, which can survive for billions of years.

University of Southampton scientists have stored the full human genome on a 5D memory crystal—a revolutionary data storage format that can survive for billions of years.

Hidden in a salt cave in Austria, scientists have stored human DNA on memory crystals which could eventually be used to revive society after an extinction event. A memory crystal is essentially a sophisticated 5D memory card made of a material equivalent to fused quartz - one of the most durable materials on Earth.