Ever wondered what the internet weighs?

[ricktas]

Have you ever wondered what the internet weigh?

Not the cables, computers, routers etc that supply all the information on the internet, but the actual internet itself.. the information.. the data. It is estimated that the internet is made up of 540 billion trillion electrons. So to put this in perspective, the internet weighs about the same as one strawberry.

[Hawthy]

I assume that weight excludes the now defunct Big Strawberry at Yatala?

[ameerat42]

I assume that weight excludes the now defunct Big Strawberry at Yatala?

I heard that PIES are SQUARE at Yatala

Anyway, progress is such that we can expect unrelenting and exponential growth of the Internet.

--And that can only mean we'll have Strawberry Fields Forever
(Unless they're devastated by plagues of Beatles.)

[Ross the fiddler]

Have you ever wondered what the internet weigh?

Not the cables, computers, routers etc that supply all the information on the internet, but the actual internet itself.. the information.. the data. It is estimated that the internet is made up of 540 billion trillion electrons. So to put this in perspective, the internet weighs about the same as one strawberry.

Obviously it can't be compared to a Blackberry then.

[nardes]

Does Binary 0 have the same mass as a Binary 1 and if not, how does that affect the electrons?

Cheers

Dennis

[Tannin]

^ Yes. Binary zeros, like binary ones, are encoded as sequences of transition zones between positively polarised and negatively polarised regions. If the Internet used light instead of electromagnetism, the ones and zeros would be the lines dividing black from white.

[nardes]

^ Yes. Binary zeros, like binary ones, are encoded as sequences of transition zones between positively polarised and negatively polarised regions. If the Internet used light instead of electromagnetism, the ones and zeros would be the lines dividing black from white.

Hi Tony

Thanks for the explanation and "light" analogy making the visualisation a little easier to grasp.

But, you're not off the hook yet...

At the Black/White boundary, or +ve/-ve boundary, what does the transition zone look like? If it is neither B or W, + or -, then is it something in-between? If it is something in-between, what lies between the in-between space and the adjacent B or W space...

Cheers

Dennis

[Tannin]

Actually, Dennis, I was being a little disingenuous. I carefully muddied the waters by describing the way that magnetic storage works (i.e., hard drives). Data stored electronically (solid state drives, RAM) and data in transit (network transmissions) is different. I'm not sure that I'm far enough up to speed on non-magnetic data storage to make any sort of intelligent comment. But to answer your question as it applies to magnetic storage (which is still overwhelmingly the most important sort so far as volume of data contained is concerned), the "black" zones are small areas of material magnetised such that the north poles point to (for example) the right, while the "white" zones are identica but have been magnetised such that the north poles point to the left.

(Remember that it isn't the "light" or "dark" zone that stores the data. It is the pattern of transitions between light and dark which stores it. For detail on a simple, long-since disused system for this called RLL, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run-length_limited Modern storage uses vastly more complex systems which make your brain hurt.)

The magnetised material, once upon a time a simple film of iron oxide (rust), these days is made up of layers coated onto an inert (glass or aluminium) substrate. First comes a layer of cobalt-nickel-iron alloy, followed by an incredibly thin (4 atoms!) layer of ruthenium, followed by a second layer of cobalt-nickel-iron, all followed by a complex top layer made largely of cobalt-chromium-platinum with a dash of extra ruthenium and a sprig of mint.

OK, I lied about the mint. The rest of it is true though.

[ameerat42]

Well, now you'll have to guess the weight of my desk, where data is stored on countless pieces of paper
in a state of constant chaos... Hang on! Can chaos be a state? A state implies a certain order...
Oh well, maybe a Nanny State does not

[Mark L]

Putin has ordered all Russians to eat strawberries in an attempt to crash the interweb.

[ameerat42]

Are you saying there's a rush on 'em?

[Gazza]

Putin has ordered all Russians to eat strawberries in an attempt to crash the interweb.

I grew some strawberries once. My Father-in-law suggested I put horse manure on them, but whipped cream tasted better......

[bobt]

I grew some strawberries once. My Father-in-law suggested I put horse manure on them, but whipped cream tasted better......

I had a strawberry lodged in my bum. I saw the doctor who told me to put some cream on it.

[ameerat42]

I had a strawberry lodged...

Geez! You've been in the wars, Bob

I saw ... doctor who...put some cream on it...

Hmm! I don't recall that episode, but some weird things happen in the TARDIS