I am looking for an article I read sometime between 2002 and 2005. The content discussed how a research lab (maybe MIT or another large tech university) was able to recover data from a hard drive after over 50 formats (or it may have been data overwrites or even a combination of both) (I seem to remember the key number as 57 "deletion" operations). I think the article mentioned the use of a scanning electron microscope, magnetic force scanning, or something similar or more high-tech. This might have been published to a tech Web news site or a tech e-mail newsletter. I've searched for hours and I can't seem to locate it again.
In my search I've come across numerous papers and articles about how this recovery concept is not possible. So, it may have been a figment of my imagination, a hoax, or misleading news reporting. In any case, I really only need to hear from those of you who know the location of this specific article rather than rebutals to the possibility of the topic. I appreciate any assistance provided. - James Michael Stewart
