Thread

1. fwlr · 1790297624 · focus · HN ↗

   Yes, the physics are worse, and yes, the economics are worse, but data centers in space have the crucial advantage that they are out of range of the molotov-throwing arm of Joe Public (recently unemployed).

   1. thelastgallon · 1790304034 · focus · HN ↗

      Businesses run anywhere real money can be made. Middle east is the most volatile place. Yet, the businesses are perfectly okay building infrastructure to extract, refine and ship oil from there.

      If real money can be made, there is no need of datacenters in space. Offer some country some money and they'll let you build whatever you want. The whole idea is entirely unprofitable thats why they are making up things that won't work economically. Keep giving us money indefinitely, we'll keep spending, money can be made after a few decades of spending ... trust us.

      1. throwaway473825 · 1790304698 · focus · HN ↗

         Note that you didn't mention any such country, and for good reason - there is none.

         You'd need a dictatorship where people's voices don't matter, but then there's no right of ownership either.

         1. thelastgallon · 1790309710 · focus · HN ↗

            > Note that you didn't mention any such country, and for good reason - there is none.

            All flavors of Govt (authoritarian/democratic) are bending over backwards to build new DCs.

            In Ulanqab, China buildout of data centers 1000x size of Colossus: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;x.com&#x2F;RnaudBertrand&#x2F;status&#x2F;2099319829589295197" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;x.com&#x2F;RnaudBertrand&#x2F;status&#x2F;2099319829589295197

            India, a country which has neither power nor water or any measurable infrastructure is giving massive subsidies to hyperscalers to build AI DCs. They get free land (very very costly), nearly free energy, guaranteed supply of water and so on ...

            Examples of one authoritarian govt and one democratic govt. And there are 180+ other countries.

            1. khriss · 1790323938 · focus · HN ↗

               &gt; one democratic govt

               Honestly, India might be more democratic than China, but the current govt is known for it&#x27;s authoritarian bent [1] and crony capitalism [2] in particular.

               While governments of all types rushed to embrace AI data centers, perhaps driven by fears of being left out, the pushback against data centers seems to be universal. The difference is, countries with less authoritarian govenrments are seeing those pushbacks be generally more successful.

               [1] The Chief Election Commissioner was recently caught manipulating voter rolls over the written objections of the other two election commissioners. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bbc.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;articles&#x2F;cqkgw68yjg29o" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bbc.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;articles&#x2F;cqkgw68yjg29o

               [2] The transport minister came under flak after pushing a rushed transition to higher ethanol fuel blends. It transpired that his sons just happened to have set up ethanol factories just before the policy was announced and their net worth went up by 5000%. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bhaskarenglish.in&#x2F;originals&#x2F;news&#x2F;whye20-fuel-put-nitin-gadkaris-sons-in-controversy-135843201.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bhaskarenglish.in&#x2F;originals&#x2F;news&#x2F;whye20-fuel-put...

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