A Coin-Sized Crystal Might Be Humanity’s Last Hope
time capsule: a container holding items or information saved to be opened by people in the future
Scientists have made a tiny crystal that can hold the entire human genome for billions of years. The crystal, about the size of a coin, is so strong it can survive extreme conditions. It can handle very high and low temperatures, immense pressure, and even cosmic radiation.
This “5D memory crystal” is a time capsule that could help bring back humanity after extinction. Scientists imagine that the genome engraved on the crystal could be used as a blueprint. Aliens or future beings who evolved from humans might use it to bring us back. However, some experts question whether any future beings who find it would be able to decode it. And even if they could understand it and the technology to bring us back existed, would they want to?
The crystal will be placed in a special collection inside a salt mine in Germany. It could remain there for billions of years. It may even outlive the destruction of our home planet, predicted to happen in about 5 billion years when the sun is expected to swallow the earth.
Sample sentences
The town buried a time capsule to be opened in 100 years.
Finding my old diary felt like opening a personal time capsule.
They sent a time capsule into space with messages from Earth.
