The science of Data Recovery according to "Mr. Stack"

The Science of DATA Recovery
Hosted by "Mr. Stack"

Can we recover that which is lost? Can data which is written to disk be
relegated to the ashes of time? Scientists in
Burbank, California** believe they have the answer. Using advanced
forensic equipment, Doctors Joseph Mandale* and
Zacariah Zamprini* have conducted extensive experiments to find out.
When data is written to disk, it is recorded via
electromagnetic pulses from the drive head. These in turn conduct just
enough electricity to write the data.

"We believe we have an answer to the age old question,'Where does my
data go?'" says Mandale. "When data is erased, the
magnetic field that holds it in place is reversed, freeing the data
from the disk."

But is the data lost forever? Doctor Zamprini tested his theory using
state-of-the-art laser equipment from Cal Tech. With each
successive pulse, microbursts of electricity eradicated the data at the
subatomic level, thereby releasing it into the ethers of
time.

"The data is...released at the subatomic level," says Zamprini. "It's
like taking two sets of balls, spheres, and pulling them apart
like you would separate cotton from a gin."

What methods could someone use to recover such data? Is it economically
possible to recover it? And if so, how is it done?
Once again, Doctors Mandale and Zamprini believe they have the answer.

"When we recover data, we use reverse engineering to determine...at the
smallest level...what existed before," explains
Mandale. "We use computer models and statistics to deduce the atomic
structure of the magnetic field. Once we do that, we
can begin to reconstruct the bits of data that were once there."

Doctor Zamprini agrees.

"You really can't erase anything forever," he answers. "Vestiges of the
prior data will always remain. You just have to dig deep
enough to find it."

Not surprisingly, Doctors Mandale and Zambrini have many skeptics in
the scientific community. At CSICOP, the Committee
for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal,
skepticism abounds.

Walter Jacobs* is a retired magician and activist of a foundation in
Florida dedicated to debunking pseudoscience. Jacobs
insists that such recovery would be practically impossible without the
aide of the federal government.

"It's simply not true," insists Jacobs. "The notion that you can
recover data, at the subatomic level, is preposterous. Absolutely
nonsense."

But Doctors Mandale and Zamprini remain unfazed by criticism.

"They've never been in the labs...they've never seen the equipment.
They don't know what we can do," claims Zambrini. "It's
like walking into outer space without first being there. You can't get
a sense of the enormity of the universe without first
experiencing it."

What happens to computer data after it has been erased? Is it gone
forever, as some have claimed? Or, is it possible that
Doctors Mandale and Zamprini have found the answer? One thing is
certain, however: Humans have been preserving history
for centuries. Like cherished memories of a forgotten past, we will
continue to remember our lives even after we die."

[Cue music; fade to black]

* - not their real names.
** - not the real place.