May 23, 2011 | Suzy

I get very frustrated when I have to wait for my computer to load stuff. Thankfully data transfer just got a turbocharge from new research done by a team in Germany.

The scientists packed hundreds of colours of light into a single laser beam to set a new data transfer record of 26 terabits per second. Although techniques using loads of lasers have sent information faster, they are much pricier. Hopefully this will mean quicker, cheaper fibreoptic internet connections for everyone.

This research appears in the May 2011 issue of the journal Nature Photonics.