4 ms·

Got me curious if that's enough margin for HFT firms to invest...

by throwpoaster 2y ago

thfuran 2y ago
24 ms is massive. 0.1 bps makes it tricky to make use of.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- justinclift 2y ago
  Maybe they could use a large cluster of beams in parallel? :)
- _spduchamp 2y ago
  Transmit uncertainty by circumference ahead of time, and low bandwidth info that resolves uncertainty through the core?
- jvanderbot 2y ago
  To be clear: 24 ms is a massive improvement you mean?
  - lwansbrough 2y ago
    I assume yes considering much of HFT is measured in ns.
- vlovich123 2y ago
  It's going to be a lot less than 24ms though because that's the antipode which is worst case for a around-the-globe signal. However, the antipode for probably every single stock market is likely somewhere uninhabited. It's still going to be a huge improvement of course but I'm sure there's encode/decode times to convert to/from an electrical signal. And presumably the 0.1 bps probably means it also takes a long time to receive a single packet (error correction & collecting enough signal in the first place). So we're probably a long ways away from it making sense for that use case.
  - thfuran 2y ago
    1 ms would still be a big deal in HFT. The low bitrate pretty much kills it though (and yes, probably whatever lengthy processing is required to get a signal out of the particle soup).
  - jiggawatts 2y ago
    The cord connecting Europe to Australia is almost exactly through the centre of the planet. Also, the latency difference is a lot higher than 24ms because the current best route is via a circuitous fibre link. Light is slowed down in the glass of the fibre significantly (about 30 to 40%).
    - defrost 2y ago
      With any luck we might work out how to slow it down even more: https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/slow_glass https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/slow_glass (1966) Selling picture view windows that sat out in the scenery of Yellowstone for a few years and nano-glass-dust total surveillance are just a few of the exciting possibilities.
    - error_logic 2y ago
      Aren't satellite-satellite laser links the new standard for latency-sensitive communication since it's point to point and avoids delays from refraction? I'm not sure if they have true global connectivity yet, but. . . I'm sure SpaceX is working on it.
    - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
      > cord connecting Europe to Australia Also Puerto Rico to just off Australia. Melbourne, the neutrino city!
lawlessone 2y ago
Most of those neutrinos will keep going though. Imagine aliens come some day and ask us "What's with all the neutrinos?" :-) They're either going to be very confused or understand it perfectly depending on how their society(ies) work. Not to mention we'll have to listen to people complaining that they have a headache because of neutrinos..
- dhosek 2y ago
  —I’ve become magnetized by the neutrinos! Look, my keys stick to my arm! —Ma’m, that’s just because you’re sweaty and sweat makes your skin sticky.

Got me curious if that's enough margin for HFT firms to invest...

thfuran 2y ago

24 ms is massive. 0.1 bps makes it tricky to make use of.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
justinclift 2y ago
Maybe they could use a large cluster of beams in parallel? :)
_spduchamp 2y ago
Transmit uncertainty by circumference ahead of time, and low bandwidth info that resolves uncertainty through the core?
jvanderbot 2y ago
To be clear: 24 ms is a massive improvement you mean?
- lwansbrough 2y ago
  I assume yes considering much of HFT is measured in ns.
vlovich123 2y ago
It's going to be a lot less than 24ms though because that's the antipode which is worst case for a around-the-globe signal. However, the antipode for probably every single stock market is likely somewhere uninhabited. It's still going to be a huge improvement of course but I'm sure there's encode/decode times to convert to/from an electrical signal. And presumably the 0.1 bps probably means it also takes a long time to receive a single packet (error correction & collecting enough signal in the first place). So we're probably a long ways away from it making sense for that use case.
- thfuran 2y ago
  1 ms would still be a big deal in HFT. The low bitrate pretty much kills it though (and yes, probably whatever lengthy processing is required to get a signal out of the particle soup).
- jiggawatts 2y ago
  The cord connecting Europe to Australia is almost exactly through the centre of the planet. Also, the latency difference is a lot higher than 24ms because the current best route is via a circuitous fibre link. Light is slowed down in the glass of the fibre significantly (about 30 to 40%).
  - defrost 2y ago
    With any luck we might work out how to slow it down even more: https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/slow_glass https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/slow_glass (1966) Selling picture view windows that sat out in the scenery of Yellowstone for a few years and nano-glass-dust total surveillance are just a few of the exciting possibilities.
  - error_logic 2y ago
    Aren't satellite-satellite laser links the new standard for latency-sensitive communication since it's point to point and avoids delays from refraction? I'm not sure if they have true global connectivity yet, but. . . I'm sure SpaceX is working on it.
  - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
    > cord connecting Europe to Australia Also Puerto Rico to just off Australia. Melbourne, the neutrino city!

lawlessone 2y ago

Most of those neutrinos will keep going though. Imagine aliens come some day and ask us "What's with all the neutrinos?" :-) They're either going to be very confused or understand it perfectly depending on how their society(ies) work. Not to mention we'll have to listen to people complaining that they have a headache because of neutrinos..

dhosek 2y ago
—I’ve become magnetized by the neutrinos! Look, my keys stick to my arm! —Ma’m, that’s just because you’re sweaty and sweat makes your skin sticky.