In fact, so many computer formats have come and gone, they could fill a museum. And they do: The Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley.

At a computer museum, you can't miss the point that, sooner or later, every recording format eventually gets left in the dust.

In fact, these days, new formats are coming faster and faster, and each one expires faster than what came before it.

But not everyone is unhappy about data rot. An entire industry has sprouted up to help you recover your old recordings and data. You can buy do-it-yourself gadgets that convert your old audiocassettes, records and slides into digital formats.

In the digital age, migration is the only chance we have of preserving our recordings and our files. And again, preserving recordings is a lifelong job. But you can do it.

"Is there any permanent, forever storage media today?"

"Only the brain, the human brain