 
     |
| Storing cloud data with DNA, not electronics, as urgent as eliminating fossil fuels (Page 1/1) |
|
rinselberg
|
NOV 10, 03:37 AM
|
|
So says Emily Leproust, the CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience.
| quote | Humanity generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data -- enough to max out the storage capacity of about 40 million iPhones -- every day. Much of it gets stored "in the cloud," meaning it's saved in sprawling, frigid data centers.
Unfortunately, these data centers are contributing to the destruction of the environment. They account for as much as 1.5% of the world's total annual electricity consumption -- and are responsible for emitting more than 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, on par with the annual emissions from all commercial air travel in the entire United States.
And with the total quantity of data created doubling every two years, the problem is poised to get much worse. To keep pace with how much data we're creating, the entire surface of the planet would need to be covered with data storage centers by 2060, according to recent estimates. |
|
That's the beginning of a brief essay on the topic.
"Data Centers Are Unsustainable. We Need to Store Data in DNA."
Emily Leproust for RealClear Science; November 8, 2022.
https://www.realclearscienc...a_in_dna_863575.html[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 11-10-2022).]
|
|
|
|