Half the atoms in the planet could be digital data by 2245

[Admin]

A scientist predicts looming crises based on the growth of digital content

Half the atoms in the planet could be digital data by 2245 : Read more

 

[logicalone2]

Another silly inference. In 200 years, we will have access to the solar system. Our species is on the cusp of a major evolution now, and who knows what technology will be developed in such an enormous time span. Maybe we will decide to create dyson swarms to more full advantage of the suns energy, and maybe we will have enormous space habitats made from asteroids or minor planets. We could have planetoid sized computational devices. In any event it will be a transition to a significantly different type of existence and to try to project some individual process and anthropomorphize it as if who are living today would stay the same is a useless exercise. For those that believe a technological singularity is coming within 50 years, there is no point in looking past that time frame, because all bets are off.

 

[Catastrophe]

"But within a few short centuries, the total amount of digital bits produced annually by humanity could exceed the number of atoms on our planet and, even more unexpectedly, account for half of its mass.

Come on . . . . . . . . . is this really serious?

I suppose if you count . . . . . . . . . information about information

. . . . . . . . . about information . . . . . . . . . but is this planet really that crazy?

OR . . . . . . . . . are the inhabitants?

 

[Helio]

Sounds like a bit of a problem!

 

[iwritten]

The greater the mass, the greater the gravitational force of attraction between objects. Does that mean the chance of an asteroid impacting earth would increase as the amount of data grows?

Sounds like a heading could be created from this for fake news or clickbait article.

 

[Mergatroid]

What a steaming pile of...misinformation. Half the mass of the planet? Puhlease. Is he saying we are going to mine half our planet into non existance by converting it to information, or is he saying we will add 50% more mass to our planet?
Either and both are utterly ridiculous.
Man, what some people will write and try an make money off of these days...

 

[Helio]

Hyperbole is often effective at making a point. We need not get stuck, however, on today's technology. We will likely, for instance, move past binary data, thus reducing the volume.

 

[ChrisA]

I remember years ago a math professor explained a common proof method: Assume X and then show that if X then Y. Show that Y is impossible. This is proof that your assumption of X is wrong.

So, in this case, Y = "half the Earth is data", This is impossible therefore the assumption is wrong. Either data has no mass or we will not create so much of it.

When they printed the first books some one noticed that the rate of printing was increasing and as they built even more presses there were even more books. Someone calculated that "If this continues the entire surface of the Earth will be covered a mile deep with books by the year 2000"

The falicy in both this and my made-up story about books is that all new technology goes through a phase of exposnential growth then it slows. This applies to flush-toilets too. At first there was unlimited demand and then everyone had one and only buys a new one to replace one that broke.

One more false assumption. Most of the data is just video. so last year the average person shot 40 minutes of video and today the shoot 60. But it is wrong to assume the strand continues. No person will shoot 1000 hours of video per day.

Moore's law with computer chips is the same. The trend can not continue

This article is yet another "proof" that exponential growth is only possible for short periods.

 

[Catastrophe]

Has anyone thought of applying this argument to expansion of the Universe?

We have already had inflation.

Cat