4 ms·

> But let's not forget there's a good reason why data centres full of computer servers are often built inside icy mountains or under oceans. Electronics get hot

> But let's not forget there's a good reason why data centres full of computer servers are often built inside icy mountains or under oceans. Electronics get hot. Gell-Mann amnesia effect applies here. This is pretty bad reporting.

zeristor 8y ago
Thanks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gell-Mann_amnesia_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gell-Mann_amnesia_effect
close04 8y ago
Your objection is probably to the usage of the word "often" which is... debatable. It's probably also unrealistic. Otherwise yes, nobody ever built a DC underwater [0] or in the icy mountains [1] or underground [2]. [0] https://news.microsoft.com/features/under-the-sea-microsoft-tests-a-datacenter-thats-quick-to-deploy-could-provide-internet-connectivity-for-years/ https://news.microsoft.com/features/under-the-sea-microsoft-... [1] https://greenmountain.no/ https://greenmountain.no/ [2] https://royal.pingdom.com/the-worlds-most-super-designed-data-center-fit-for-a-james-bond-villain/ https://royal.pingdom.com/the-worlds-most-super-designed-dat...
- 7j 8y ago
  Reporter was claiming that warehouse was freezing cold to keep electronics of robots cool. It's total nonsense. These robots probably emit less heat than regular forklifts. The only reason for the freezing temperatures is to keep foodstuff fresh. Also datacenters underground is only a marketing trick (we keep you servers in a bunker). If anything it only complicates getting rid of extra heat (eg. problems with London underground [1] ) [1] https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/london-central-line-hot-why-underground-tube-stations-tfl-science-a8422456.html https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/london-...
  - mhw 8y ago
    Given that the article also has no information about the cause of the fire ("The firm has not yet commented on the probable cause of the blaze and the investigation could go on for quite some time") it's also fairly easy to read the earlier "electronics get hot" as trying to point towards a suspected cause. As you say, it's total nonsense - even if the cause does turn out to be an electrical fire, it's unlikely to be due to insufficient cooling of the whole warehouse.
    - close04 8y ago
      I don't she meant to suggest that improper cooling led to the warehouse burning down. She implied that DC are built underwater/in mountains (true) often (false) because electronics get hot (true...ish). And then drew the conclusion that this is one of the reasons the warehouse is cold (false) on top of the obvious one: > The temperature was to protect the cold food, I was told.
ddeokbokki 8y ago
You mean to tell me my ap-south-1 instances are not actually inside Mt. Everest?!
- ucaetano 8y ago
  Nope, they're in an orbiting datacenter. You can't beat the dead cold vacuum of space. PS: You can, the vacuum of space is actually terrible for cooling, I was making a joke.

zeristor 8y ago

Thanks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gell-Mann_amnesia_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gell-Mann_amnesia_effect

close04 8y ago

Your objection is probably to the usage of the word "often" which is... debatable. It's probably also unrealistic. Otherwise yes, nobody ever built a DC underwater [0] or in the icy mountains [1] or underground [2]. [0] https://news.microsoft.com/features/under-the-sea-microsoft-tests-a-datacenter-thats-quick-to-deploy-could-provide-internet-connectivity-for-years/ https://news.microsoft.com/features/under-the-sea-microsoft-... [1] https://greenmountain.no/ https://greenmountain.no/ [2] https://royal.pingdom.com/the-worlds-most-super-designed-data-center-fit-for-a-james-bond-villain/ https://royal.pingdom.com/the-worlds-most-super-designed-dat...

7j 8y ago
Reporter was claiming that warehouse was freezing cold to keep electronics of robots cool. It's total nonsense. These robots probably emit less heat than regular forklifts. The only reason for the freezing temperatures is to keep foodstuff fresh. Also datacenters underground is only a marketing trick (we keep you servers in a bunker). If anything it only complicates getting rid of extra heat (eg. problems with London underground [1] ) [1] https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/london-central-line-hot-why-underground-tube-stations-tfl-science-a8422456.html https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/london-...
- mhw 8y ago
  Given that the article also has no information about the cause of the fire ("The firm has not yet commented on the probable cause of the blaze and the investigation could go on for quite some time") it's also fairly easy to read the earlier "electronics get hot" as trying to point towards a suspected cause. As you say, it's total nonsense - even if the cause does turn out to be an electrical fire, it's unlikely to be due to insufficient cooling of the whole warehouse.
  - close04 8y ago
    I don't she meant to suggest that improper cooling led to the warehouse burning down. She implied that DC are built underwater/in mountains (true) often (false) because electronics get hot (true...ish). And then drew the conclusion that this is one of the reasons the warehouse is cold (false) on top of the obvious one: > The temperature was to protect the cold food, I was told.

ddeokbokki 8y ago

You mean to tell me my ap-south-1 instances are not actually inside Mt. Everest?!

ucaetano 8y ago
Nope, they're in an orbiting datacenter. You can't beat the dead cold vacuum of space. PS: You can, the vacuum of space is actually terrible for cooling, I was making a joke.