The problem I see with this is that you'd basically need to include instructions on how to operate every protocol as well as an independent power source to operate it.
The best bet would just be to include a laptop and a few solar chargers to power it. If the future world can't power a laptop with light for some reason... they don't deserve to look back into the past.
Perhaps that mineral oil which is used to keep CRAYs cool might work? Maybe just get a barrel of that, drop all of the components in, and seal it up.
I'm not sure how practical it will be for when it's opened, but it'll suffice for keeping the sucker preserved.
Mineral Oil works good for cooling, but it will eat through your components after a while, especially after 50 years. About the best thing you can do is seal it in the best vacuum possible. A lack of gas around the components does much better than forcing something in, be it air, liquid, etc.
by Anonymous Coward writes:
on Saturday January 24, 2009 @05:26PM (#26592923)
No, definitely no vacuum. The pressure difference will cause damage. If you think you need to provide more than a stable, not too humid climate, use an inert gas.
Most components will last 50 years without problems, but the BIOS battery won't. Modern hard disks with fluid dynamic bearings may be a problem. Software should be stored on low density magnetic and optical media: Tapes are still the longest lasting archival format that is directly readable by a computer. CDs are more likely to last 50 years than DVDs.
The best way to keep a system in working order is to use it every once in a while.
No, definitely no vacuum. The pressure difference will cause damage. If you think you need to provide more than a stable, not too humid climate, use an inert gas.
Also, vacuum will cause outgassing [wikipedia.org], particularly of any lubricants or volatile compounds in plastics and rubber, making them go brittle. Not good. So yes, an inert, and dry (think dessicant), atmosphere is much better.
A tape may last, but the rubber in a tape drive will not. Floppy disks may actually be the most survivable magnetic media, since the drives use no microprocessors or rubber parts.
A Faraday cage will protect magnetic media from outside influences. It won't keep the media from degrading but it will prevent any inconvenient wars from doing too much harm.
This actually brings up perhaps the biggest problem with the project.Where will they find a battery for the bios? While some bios will boot (to default settings) without a bios battery installed most will simply fail post, hard.
Will a battery, even still in the original packaging, even hold a charge for 50 years? If you look back, battery technology has advanced quite a bit in the last 50 years and there is every indication that this will continue for the next 50 years so getting a hold of the exact battery
then wire the battery compartment to the outside of the case with a sign saying stick 3 volts here, that way there's no need for the exact battery type to be included.
Most every PC I've come across with a bad BIOS battery will run once you've configured the BIOS and will hold the settings until you turn it off again. The best bet would be pull the battery off the motherboard (to prevent corrosion when it leaks), pack the computer with a note on how to configure the BIOS and what kind of battery needed to retain the settings and the specifications for it. They'll probably be able to get a CR2032 in 50 years, as it's an extremely common type of battery, and even if they
"The best bet would be pull the battery off the motherboard (to prevent corrosion when it leaks), pack the computer with a note on how to configure the BIOS and what kind of battery needed to retain the settings and the specifications for it."
Good point.
I think I would also include the latest BIOS firmware with the storage media, along with the protocol/procedure to reflash the BIOS.
When I read the summary, the mobo battery for the BIOS chip and degradation of the BIOS firmware were my first thoughts about
IT's simple enough to find a motherboard that won't fail POST when it encounters a dead CMOS battery. Just remove the battery from each machine that you're considering, and only choose one that can POST without the battery. Then include a printed sheet with instructions on manually setting up the BIOS, and you're good to go.
There are batteries that would work after 50 years. They keep the reactants separate until some action is preformed, like pulling a tab. The military uses this type of battery in some situations. Also, even if it won't work after 50 years all you need is to say that the bios needs X volts at Y amps.
It's perhaps worth mentioning that if an inert gas is used, there should be warnings on the packaging. The last thing they want is for a group of students to open the box and drop down dead (from suffocation).
Not necessarily. Most cultures have myths of ancients that left traps to protect their treasures from grave robbers. Seems to me that gassing a few of them will motivate the survivors by convincing them they've found something really valuable.
[FORTRAN] will persist for some time -- probably for at least the next decade.
-- T. Cheatham
I've thought about this (Score:2, Interesting)
The best bet would just be to include a laptop and a few solar chargers to power it. If the future world can't power a laptop with light for some reason... they don't deserve to look back into the past.
As for preservation (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm not sure how practical it will be for when it's opened, but it'll suffice for keeping the sucker preserved.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Perhaps that mineral oil which is used to keep CRAYs cool might work? Maybe just get a barrel of that, drop all of the components in, and seal it up. I'm not sure how practical it will be for when it's opened, but it'll suffice for keeping the sucker preserved.
Mineral Oil works good for cooling, but it will eat through your components after a while, especially after 50 years. About the best thing you can do is seal it in the best vacuum possible. A lack of gas around the components does much better than forcing something in, be it air, liquid, etc.
Re:As for preservation (Score:5, Informative)
No, definitely no vacuum. The pressure difference will cause damage. If you think you need to provide more than a stable, not too humid climate, use an inert gas.
Most components will last 50 years without problems, but the BIOS battery won't. Modern hard disks with fluid dynamic bearings may be a problem. Software should be stored on low density magnetic and optical media: Tapes are still the longest lasting archival format that is directly readable by a computer. CDs are more likely to last 50 years than DVDs.
The best way to keep a system in working order is to use it every once in a while.
Re: (Score:2)
No, definitely no vacuum. The pressure difference will cause damage. If you think you need to provide more than a stable, not too humid climate, use an inert gas.
Also, vacuum will cause outgassing [wikipedia.org], particularly of any lubricants or volatile compounds in plastics and rubber, making them go brittle. Not good. So yes, an inert, and dry (think dessicant), atmosphere is much better.
Re: (Score:1)
A tape may last, but the rubber in a tape drive will not. Floppy disks may actually be the most survivable magnetic media, since the drives use no microprocessors or rubber parts.
Re: (Score:2)
If going with magnetic media a faraday cage might be adviseable, A lot can happen in 50 years.
Re: (Score:2)
Virg
Battery life (Score:2, Interesting)
While some bios will boot (to default settings) without a bios battery installed most will simply fail post, hard.
Will a battery, even still in the original packaging, even hold a charge for 50 years? If you look back, battery technology has advanced quite a bit in the last 50 years and there is every indication that this will continue for the next 50 years so getting a hold of the exact battery
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Most every PC I've come across with a bad BIOS battery will run once you've configured the BIOS and will hold the settings until you turn it off again. The best bet would be pull the battery off the motherboard (to prevent corrosion when it leaks), pack the computer with a note on how to configure the BIOS and what kind of battery needed to retain the settings and the specifications for it. They'll probably be able to get a CR2032 in 50 years, as it's an extremely common type of battery, and even if they
Re: (Score:2)
"The best bet would be pull the battery off the motherboard (to prevent corrosion when it leaks), pack the computer with a note on how to configure the BIOS and what kind of battery needed to retain the settings and the specifications for it."
Good point.
I think I would also include the latest BIOS firmware with the storage media, along with the protocol/procedure to reflash the BIOS.
When I read the summary, the mobo battery for the BIOS chip and degradation of the BIOS firmware were my first thoughts about
Re: (Score:2)
Virg
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Where will they find a battery for the bios?
That's easy. Just include an extra!
Wait....oh....nevermind.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Not necessarily. Most cultures have myths of ancients that left traps to protect their treasures from grave robbers. Seems to me that gassing a few of them will motivate the survivors by convincing them they've found something really valuable.