Did you know that GitHub has a shelter at the pole where it keeps... the codes of the most important Open Source applications? (video ~3 minutes)
Deep in the Arctic, the archipelago of Svalbard, known for its ice-covered landscapes, is the home to the northernmost town in the world and thousands of polar bears. It is also here that the Global Seed Vault can be found, a location that secures millions of seeds sent from around the globe for long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults. Nearby, a decommissioned coal mine has taken on a new purpose, one that aims to protect open-source software for future generations. Deep within the permafrost layer, which can be up to 400 meters thick, the plan is to store the world's open-source software on silver halide film. The data will be encoded on frames containing 8.8 million pixels each, designed to endure for over a millennium. In their initial deposit, thousands of the most relied upon open-source projects from hundreds of thousands of developers around the world will be archived. The GitHub team plans to return next spring, under the perpetual light of the midnight sun, to deposit every active public repository on GitHub into the GitHub Arctic Code Vault for safekeeping.
Toggle timeline summary
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Introduction to Svalbard and its Arctic environment.
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Description of Svalbard as home to polar bears.
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Mention of the Global Seed Vault.
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Overview of the purpose of the Global Seed Vault.
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Introduction to a decommissioned coal mine repurposed for technology.
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Storing open-source software for future generations.
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Details on the storage method within the permafrost layer.
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Explanation of data encoding on silver halide film.
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Highlighting the longevity of the data storage.
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Initial deposit includes crucial open-source projects.
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Acknowledgment of global developer contributions.
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Plans to return next spring for further deposits.
Transcription
Deep in the Arctic Circle, an archipelago covered in ice, Svalbard, home to the northern most town in the world, to thousands of polar bears. And it is here you can find the Global Seed Vault. Millions of seeds have been sent here from across the globe, for secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults. Just down the road is a decommissioned coal mine that has taken on new life. This is where we will protect open-source software for future generations. Deep within the permafrost layer, which can stretch up to 400 meters thick, we will store the world's open-source software on silver halide film. The data is encoded on frames with 8.8 million pixels each and designed to last over 1,000 years. In our initial deposit, we archive thousands of the world's most depended-on open-source projects. The work of hundreds of thousands of developers from around the world. We will return next spring, during the perpetual light of the midnight sun, to deposit every active public repository on GitHub for safekeeping in the GitHub Arctic Code Vault.