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It's possible to do all of this with current technology. Just... Why? The cost would be exorbitant; even with really clever deployment tech, the launch costs ar
by daeken 1y ago
It's possible to do all of this with current technology. Just... Why? The cost would be exorbitant; even with really clever deployment tech, the launch costs are gonna be dominated by solar panels and radiators.
This is a super cool idea and seems like perfect investor-bait. That's about where it ends.
- handfuloflight 1y agoPerhaps a hedge in case apocalyptic scenarios disable or reduce networks on the ground?
- jsheard 1y agoApocalyptic scenarios where terrestrial communication methods going back over a century are no longer feasible, but we can still readily talk to space? And maintain/replace the stuff we have up there?
- handfuloflight 1y agoLike the commenter, your error is thinking the hedge is for you. And what's more—you're assuming the scenario must be total destruction, there's a gradation of disruption where this hedge remains feasible and even vital.
- handfuloflight 1y agoLike [the other commenter]*
- arp242 1y agoYes, because in an apocalyptic scenario what we all will be clamouring will be space data centres training AI and mining bitcoin.
- handfuloflight 1y agoWe? Did you think they're hedging so you could use it?
- matt-p 1y agoGenuinely most "AI" DCs are spending less than 9KW on cooling for every 100KW of servers. If you were that bothered about getting that to zero, you could literally sink them into the ocean, build a heat network so the town can take the heat for free or use any of a dozen more established and practical ways to do that.
- azinman2 1y agoPlease don’t suggest heating the ocean! Someone might just go to try to do that. The ocean is already warming too much!
- jamessinghal 1y agoIt's a bit demoralizing how many suggestions in this thread would have significant environmental effects beyond what large scale AI training already has.
- dzhiurgis 1y agoIt's far far faaar more demoralizing people not realizing orders of magnitude... Something like 2/3rds of sunshine is already being absorbed by oceans. How much solar power do humans harvest? A billionth?
- jamessinghal 1y agoI'm talking about the above proposals (albiet hypothetical) to either cover a pole of our planet in solar and other ocean based proposals--not solar in general.
- smus 1y agoIt's a bit demoralizing people talk about AI training as if it were even 1/100th the environmental impact of the personal automobile or frequent airplane trips
- matt-p 1y agoIt's already being done all over the place. It's not particularly damaging compared to the alternatives.