the player for the disks was very expensive and soon the whole format was obsolete. so those who'd been involved in collecting the information could no longer see it. >> it's so long ago. we've stopped feeling cross about it. we weren't really cross about it. we were sort of -- well, what did we do all of this for then? although we did enjoy doing it. >> reporter: now the data has been recovered and can be viewed on a bbc website. >> we're putting it online. we're putting it on bbc.com. we're inviting everyone to come and explore. finally bbc's unfinished business getting finished in terms of letting the people who kindly contributed who all of this stuff back in 1986, have a look at it now. >> reporter: in 1986 there wasn't any worldwide web or digital cameras. and hardly anyone had a mobile phone. 25 years on, technology should make a doomsday project a whole lot easier. rory kellen-jones, bbc news.