Welcome to Beyond Euclid #188, the newsletter for the best mathematics and science stuff of the week. I am Ali, and I curate cool math and science stuff every week to help you have a better week.
The claim on US electricity prices is unsourced and, according to the EIA, wrong. Electricity prices have increased 13-18 per cent, roughly in line with the CPI.
The attribution to data centres makes no sense. How can a source of demand accounting for 4 per cent of the total (up from about 2 per cent) drive a 30 per cent price increase.
What is true is that there have been big increases in places where existing consumers have to bear the cost of transmission lines for large new connections, such as those from data centres. This is a problem of regulatory design rather than supply and demand.
As someone who spent 25 years building data centers, I note that this false claim about data center power usage driving up electricity costs has always been around.
I attended many seminars on how to locate them in areas with low power costs (due to “extra” power being available there).
Anyways everyone can just stop using their cell phones and laptops if they really think it’s a problem. FAT CHANCE.
I agree with your example of a drawing implement that creates art as it draws; but I actually can’t think of anything that just exists and does not perform. Even an object that appears to be passive and not “do” anything can attract attention and create visual imagery, just by being.
The claim on US electricity prices is unsourced and, according to the EIA, wrong. Electricity prices have increased 13-18 per cent, roughly in line with the CPI.
The attribution to data centres makes no sense. How can a source of demand accounting for 4 per cent of the total (up from about 2 per cent) drive a 30 per cent price increase.
What is true is that there have been big increases in places where existing consumers have to bear the cost of transmission lines for large new connections, such as those from data centres. This is a problem of regulatory design rather than supply and demand.
As someone who spent 25 years building data centers, I note that this false claim about data center power usage driving up electricity costs has always been around.
I attended many seminars on how to locate them in areas with low power costs (due to “extra” power being available there).
Anyways everyone can just stop using their cell phones and laptops if they really think it’s a problem. FAT CHANCE.
I found a similar claim about personal computers back in the 1990s
https://reneweconomy.com.au/ai-wont-use-as-much-electricity-as-we-are-told-and-its-not-a-reason-to-slow-transition-to-renewables/
“Some things don’t just exist—they perform.”
I agree with your example of a drawing implement that creates art as it draws; but I actually can’t think of anything that just exists and does not perform. Even an object that appears to be passive and not “do” anything can attract attention and create visual imagery, just by being.
The taxicab geometry link is broken.