Rosetta Project micro-etching
One of the most fascinating (and admirable) aspects of the Long Now Foundation is their Rosetta Project, which is building an archive of all human language as part of the Foundation’s 10,000 year library. Crucial to this project is the construction of a Rosetta Disk, which, to use their own terminology:
“The Rosetta Disk is intended to be a durable archive of human languages, as well as an aesthetic object that suggests a journey of the imagination across culture and history.”
Eight years in the making, they’ve finally been able to produce the first versions of the final disk, thanks to advanced micro-etching technology and a specially-designed font specifically crafted for micro-engraving. Font geeks, consider this essential viewing…but don’t get too excited about owning one unless you’ve got $25,000 to spare. Maybe some higher-res photos would help satisfy those of us in a more realistic tax bracket.
- Macro to micro etching, courtesy The Long Now Blog