World spec'mode

Intergenerational User Guide (IGUG)

How is nanoscale mass storage (MMN) used? In 2041, this technology began to spread worldwide, as it allows for the storage of millions of gigabytes in a space equivalent to that of an early 21st-century hard drive. This technology is even used in data centers and archives in many countries, as it offers considerable savings in space and energy. Nevertheless, will this technology still be in use several decades from now? And above all, in the event of a global catastrophe, how will we subsequently be able to use this technology and access the valuable content of today’s archives? The company XXX, founded in South Korea, has decided to tackle this problem head-on by setting out to create a user manual. But not just any user manual—an intergenerational manual called the IGUG, designed to be read and understood even millennia from now. At first glance, the IGUG looks like any other user manual: it’s on paper, written in multiple languages, and contains all sorts of details on how an MMN works. However, the IGUG is a much thicker booklet than a standard manual, as its preamble includes a wealth of fundamental knowledge in nanotechnology, computer programming, genetics (DNA-based media is the most common method for MMNs), cryptography, linguistics, and chemistry. Furthermore, the IGUG contains all kinds of information needed to build an MMN-compatible reading device. In theory, even if tomorrow no one knew how to use MMN media anymore, our descendants could use this IGUG to develop the technology from scratch. Moreover, the IGUG isn’t exactly the kind of booklet you’d just leave sitting on a shelf. The company XXX has gone to great lengths to ensure that every copy of the IGUG withstands the test of time for as long as possible. Each copy is sealed inside a closed, watertight metal box, which in theory makes the IGUG impervious to corrosion and other natural external threats. Hundreds of these capsules have been produced and distributed all over the world—in Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and even Antarctica. Most of the locations chosen to house these capsules are also sufficiently far from urban areas to ensure maximum protection against disasters. Given the number of units, the probability that at least one IGUG unit will find its way into the hands of our distant descendants is not exactly low.