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How Much Does The Internet Weigh?
In this fascinating video, Michael Stevens from Vsauce explores a quirky yet thought-provoking question: "How much does the Internet weigh?" The discussion begins with a comparison of the Internet's weight to that of an average strawberry, which weighs about 50 grams. This leads to a deeper dive into how we measure information and the physical matter behind digital storage.
The video explains that information on devices like Kindles is stored in binary code, which relies on the mass of electrons. When you load an e-book onto your Kindle, it technically gains weight—a minuscule amount estimated at \(10^{-18}\) grams when fully populated with books. To put this into perspective, a fully charged Kindle's mass increase is around 100 million times more than when it's full of books!
Stevens references Russell Seitz, who calculated that the Internet, made up of approximately 75 to 100 million servers, generates around 40 billion Watts of electricity. Using this energy data, he determines that the electrons in motion that make up the Internet essentially weigh around 50 grams. When including personal computer chips, this number triples.
However, even more interesting is the weight of information itself. With an estimated 5 million Terabytes of data on the Internet—most of which remains unindexed by companies like Google—Stevens breaks it down: it takes roughly 8 billion electrons to store a single email. In total, the Internet's data weighs about 0.2 millionths of an ounce, comparable to a small grain of sand.
This blend of science and curiosity not only educates but also compels viewers to think about the digital world in a tangible way. Michael promises more insights and facts on his Twitter account, inviting viewers to explore this perplexing subject further.
For those of you intrigued by the intersection of technology and science, what do you think about the weight of digital information? Have any thoughts on how these calculations impact our understanding of technology? Share your insights below!
In this fascinating video, Michael Stevens from Vsauce explores a quirky yet thought-provoking question: "How much does the Internet weigh?" The discussion begins with a comparison of the Internet's weight to that of an average strawberry, which weighs about 50 grams. This leads to a deeper dive into how we measure information and the physical matter behind digital storage.
The video explains that information on devices like Kindles is stored in binary code, which relies on the mass of electrons. When you load an e-book onto your Kindle, it technically gains weight—a minuscule amount estimated at \(10^{-18}\) grams when fully populated with books. To put this into perspective, a fully charged Kindle's mass increase is around 100 million times more than when it's full of books!
Stevens references Russell Seitz, who calculated that the Internet, made up of approximately 75 to 100 million servers, generates around 40 billion Watts of electricity. Using this energy data, he determines that the electrons in motion that make up the Internet essentially weigh around 50 grams. When including personal computer chips, this number triples.
However, even more interesting is the weight of information itself. With an estimated 5 million Terabytes of data on the Internet—most of which remains unindexed by companies like Google—Stevens breaks it down: it takes roughly 8 billion electrons to store a single email. In total, the Internet's data weighs about 0.2 millionths of an ounce, comparable to a small grain of sand.
This blend of science and curiosity not only educates but also compels viewers to think about the digital world in a tangible way. Michael promises more insights and facts on his Twitter account, inviting viewers to explore this perplexing subject further.
For those of you intrigued by the intersection of technology and science, what do you think about the weight of digital information? Have any thoughts on how these calculations impact our understanding of technology? Share your insights below!
