--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want data to survive, carve it in…" description: "\"If you want data to survive, carve it in rock.\" — Jack McDevitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg" --- # If you want data to survive, carve it in rock. ![“If you want data to survive, carve it in rock.” quote by Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg) > “If you want data to survive, carve it in rock.” [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Preserving data requires durable, immutable storage to survive time and change. **In simple terms:** Store data in unchanging media. Key Takeaway Choose long‑lasting storage methods. Themes preservation technology longevity Mood pragmatic reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - digital archiving - historical records - legal documents - personal memories Key Concepts data integrity archival science Questions to Reflect On - What medium best ensures data longevity? - How to balance accessibility with durability? A Different Perspective Physical media can degrade; digital formats become obsolete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) ## Related quotes > [I went straight from high school to 'Gossip Girl,' and both were very structured, scheduled environments, so I never had freedom to explore and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-went-straight-from-high-school-to-gossip-girl-and-both-were-very/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) > [Football can help carve a more diverse world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-seedorf/football-can-help-carve-a-more-diverse-world/) [Clarence Seedorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-seedorf/) > [Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve up a camera, and we had him carve one up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/richard-leacock-and-i-ran-into-a-guy-who-knew-how-to-carve-up-a/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [It is not necessary to live, But to carve our names beyond that point, This is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriele-d-annunzio/it-is-not-necessary-to-live-but-to-carve-our-names-beyond-that-point/) [Gabriele d'Annunzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriele-d-annunzio/) > [With your hands carve out your own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/with-your-hands-carve-out-your-own-destiny/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Most of us were probably less than immaculately honest as teenagers; it's practically encoded into adolescence that you savor your secrets, dress in disguise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/most-of-us-were-probably-less-than-immaculately-honest-as-teenagers/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [“The hardest stone to cut and carve is within us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevan-v-nikolic/the-hardest-stone-to-cut-and-carve-is-within-us/) [Stevan V. Nikolic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevan-v-nikolic/) > [“I am in a car with Mr. Assai at the wheel. He pauses to let a cow cross the road and then manages to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-a-seitz/i-am-in-a-car-with-mr-assai-at-the-wheel-he-pauses-to-let-a-cow-cross/) Nicole A. Seitz > [Campaign finance and ethics reform only works if it curtails all special interest groups equally and does not carve out any exceptions to benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kean-jr/campaign-finance-and-ethics-reform-only-works-if-it-curtails-all/) [Thomas Kean, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kean-jr/) > [What I like to do is treat words as a craftsman does his wood or stone or what-have-you, to hew, carve, mold, coil, polish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/what-i-like-to-do-is-treat-words-as-a-craftsman-does-his-wood-or/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) > [“The Choice You can carve out a life for yourself just as your bones have been carved from some larger bone your flesh peeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-choice-you-can-carve-out-a-life-for-yourself-just-as-your-bones/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We get older, and we forget that we have to carve a little time out to feel good in your body, in your head,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/we-get-older-and-we-forget-that-we-have-to-carve-a-little-time-out-to/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [Carve and polish it the way you like, error cannot be changed into a precious stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/carve-and-polish-it-the-way-you-like-error-cannot-be-changed-into-a/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [“I could carve out of a banana a judge with more backbone than that,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-could-carve-out-of-a-banana-a-judge-with-more-backbone-than-that/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Did you carve up any ice... with your weiner? -Chazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blades-of-glory/did-you-carve-up-any-ice-with-your-weiner-chazz/) Blades Of Glory ## More by Jack McDevitt > [The queen of virtues is the recognition of one's own flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/the-queen-of-virtues-is-the-recognition-of-one-s-own-flaws/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Tides are like politics. They come and go with a great deal of fuss and noise, but inevitably they leave the beach just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/tides-are-like-politics-they-come-and-go-with-a-great-deal-of-fuss/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Talking with most people usually involves a search for truth. Talking with congressmen is strictly special effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/talking-with-most-people-usually-involves-a-search-for-truth-talking/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [The real problem has to do with the inability by people to admit that a position they've held a long time might be wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/the-real-problem-has-to-do-with-the-inability-by-people-to-admit-that/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Lies hold civilization together. If people ever seriously begin telling each other what they really think, there'd be no peace. Good-bye to tact. Good-bye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/lies-hold-civilization-together-if-people-ever-seriously-begin/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Science fiction writers missed the most salient feature of our modern era: the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/science-fiction-writers-missed-the-most-salient-feature-of-our-modern/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [ “...those whose tastes run to personal power \[can\] never be trusted to act save in the pursuit of their own ambition.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/those-whose-tastes-run-to-personal-power-can-never-be-trusted-to-act/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Solitude is only a good idea if you have the right people along to share it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/solitude-is-only-a-good-idea-if-you-have-the-right-people-along-to/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Universal deities ... never seem to smile. Not in any culture. What's the point of having omnipotence if you don't enjoy it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/universal-deities-never-seem-to-smile-not-in-any-culture-what-s-the/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Technological civilizations don't last long. You're all right until you get a printing press. Then a race starts between technology and common sense. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/technological-civilizations-don-t-last-long-you-re-all-right-until/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [My father used to take me to the movies on Saturdays. In 1940, when I was four years old, we encountered 'Flash Gordon Conquers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/my-father-used-to-take-me-to-the-movies-on-saturdays-in-1940-when-i/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Of course, they (i. e., demons) had always been observed with some regularity, but that could usually be ascribed to an overabundance of piety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/of-course-they-i-e-demons-had-always-been-observed-with-some/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [If you want creative and successful children, resign yourself to jousting with rebels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/if-you-want-creative-and-successful-children-resign-yourself-to/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [There is no justice. There are occasional acts of vengeance, or regret, but there's no real justice. In the natural scheme of things, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/there-is-no-justice-there-are-occasional-acts-of-vengeance-or-regret/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I was once invited to attend a private dinner for Senator John F. Kennedy. But it was a Saturday evening, and I passed. Had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/i-was-once-invited-to-attend-a-private-dinner-for-senator-john-f/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) [Explore all 81 Jack McDevitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) ## More Carve quotes > [I went straight from high school to 'Gossip Girl,' and both were very structured, scheduled environments, so I never had freedom to explore and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-went-straight-from-high-school-to-gossip-girl-and-both-were-very/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) > [“I could carve out of a banana a judge with more backbone than that,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-could-carve-out-of-a-banana-a-judge-with-more-backbone-than-that/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Carve and polish it the way you like, error cannot be changed into a precious stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/carve-and-polish-it-the-way-you-like-error-cannot-be-changed-into-a/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [We get older, and we forget that we have to carve a little time out to feel good in your body, in your head,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/we-get-older-and-we-forget-that-we-have-to-carve-a-little-time-out-to/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [“The Choice You can carve out a life for yourself just as your bones have been carved from some larger bone your flesh peeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-choice-you-can-carve-out-a-life-for-yourself-just-as-your-bones/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I like to do is treat words as a craftsman does his wood or stone or what-have-you, to hew, carve, mold, coil, polish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/what-i-like-to-do-is-treat-words-as-a-craftsman-does-his-wood-or/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) > [Campaign finance and ethics reform only works if it curtails all special interest groups equally and does not carve out any exceptions to benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kean-jr/campaign-finance-and-ethics-reform-only-works-if-it-curtails-all/) [Thomas Kean, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kean-jr/) > [“I am in a car with Mr. Assai at the wheel. He pauses to let a cow cross the road and then manages to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-a-seitz/i-am-in-a-car-with-mr-assai-at-the-wheel-he-pauses-to-let-a-cow-cross/) Nicole A. Seitz > [“The hardest stone to cut and carve is within us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevan-v-nikolic/the-hardest-stone-to-cut-and-carve-is-within-us/) [Stevan V. Nikolic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevan-v-nikolic/) > [Most of us were probably less than immaculately honest as teenagers; it's practically encoded into adolescence that you savor your secrets, dress in disguise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/most-of-us-were-probably-less-than-immaculately-honest-as-teenagers/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [With your hands carve out your own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/with-your-hands-carve-out-your-own-destiny/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [It is not necessary to live, But to carve our names beyond that point, This is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriele-d-annunzio/it-is-not-necessary-to-live-but-to-carve-our-names-beyond-that-point/) [Gabriele d'Annunzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriele-d-annunzio/) > [Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve up a camera, and we had him carve one up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/richard-leacock-and-i-ran-into-a-guy-who-knew-how-to-carve-up-a/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [Football can help carve a more diverse world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-seedorf/football-can-help-carve-a-more-diverse-world/) [Clarence Seedorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-seedorf/) > [Did you carve up any ice... with your weiner? -Chazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blades-of-glory/did-you-carve-up-any-ice-with-your-weiner-chazz/) Blades Of Glory Browse all 73 Carve quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you want data to survive, carve it in rock.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack McDevitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in-rock/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in-rock/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/jack-mcdevitt-8429_carve_if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in_2370313.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you want data to survive, carve it in rock.” — Jack McDevitt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jack McDevitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you want data to survive,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in-rock/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/if-you-want-data-to-survive-carve-it-in-rock/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```