i take it that's the Gutmann paper (can't open the link right now)? If so, yes it's theory based upon obsolete technology and even at the time the author knew of no confirmed way to recover the data reliably.

Yes, well done

Maybe, I didn't read it so much but it seems rather the author's point was mainly he didn't know of a confirmed way to *erase* the data reliably :

Read around the subject -- within the paper he was suggesting a theoretical method that at that time and with that technology could, possibly, allow data recovery. Outside that paper he admitted that he knew of no way, even back then, for anybody to actually do that in practice.
It's an interesting paper and the DoD, and others, were right to take it seriously at the time but it is both theoretical and outdated and, as I've mentioned in another thread, if you're going against a state-run agency then you just do not, ever, store plaintext data anywhere so the destruction of said data is not an issue.
Again, I'm happy to be proven wrong though and would welcome some more reading on the subject.
Edit: I forgot, I watched this video the other day, addressing the subject. I've been reading around the subject ever since I became aware of the Gutmann paper but the video was a nice reminder.

I had a look at the Gutman paper … if you'd call it that.It's referencing 1980s technology

My first reaction was: "what are these people up to that they expect the Government, spies or police to come snooping on their HDs?" To do that we already presume that they have been incarcerated, and that unfriendly forces are looking for evidence to nail them to the wall. There is industrial espionage, but in most cases if your ideas are any good you'll have to ram them down someone's throat anyhow.

That is a good point. And, erm, encryption....