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d_silin a day ago

As an expert in this field, I can assure that cost is not the most important factor. Demand is.

CobrastanJorji a day ago | parent | next [-]

But if cost of the space GPUs is higher then the land GPUs, why would demand matter? Is there limited land? Are space GPUs better for some reason, like perhaps they can't be regulated as easily or because our AGI overlords will be less vulnerable to mobs with pitchforks?

ikiris a day ago | parent | prev [-]

Demand for what? A sealab like head in the sand view of lack of data regulation requirements?

d_silin a day ago | parent [-]

specific software applications you can run in space that you can't run on Earth or can't run cheaper on Earth.

echoangle a day ago | parent | next [-]

What’s software that would benefit from running in space? The only thing I can imagine is processing of data generated in space so you need less downlink or can reduce latency, everything else can be calculated wherever you want, no?

ikiris a day ago | parent | next [-]

I think the point the original guy is hand wavingly getting at is the point of something like this is to avoid the possibility of say a FBI raid or Nuremburgish trials for a vast AI surveillance processing facility hub for other down looking satellites if they were to lose their newly acquired power, or similar technocratic ramblings / ideas like it would survive the end of society.

Its like that scene at the end of Real Genius, "Maybe somebody already has a use for it, one for which it's perfectly designed." Lets look at the facts: Impossible to raid, not under any direct legal jurisdiction, high bandwidth line of sight communications options to satellite feed points that would be difficult to tap outside of other orbital actors, Power feed that is untethered to any planetary grid or at risk of terrestrial actors, etc.

echoangle a day ago | parent | next [-]

That’s not how it works. Your state is responsible for your activities in space, so if you annoy other countries enough, your own country will regulate you. If they don’t, you could have just built the same thing on the ground in this country.

fch42 18 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Impossible to raid ?

It's definitely much easier and much much cheaper to send a single rocket there blowing the assembled rather large target into still sizeable chucks of orbital debris than it is to deploy and assemble the thing there in the first place. And there are a few terrestrial actors rather capable of this. More than there are who could make it happen under whatever optimistic assumptions anyway.

In itself, a structure of this size in orbit is an efficient catcher of micrometeorites and orbital debris. Over "non-eternal" timeframes you don't even need a bad actor with good rockets.

Nevermind that in such a case, the eventual fate of these sizeable chunks of orbital debris is to become rods of god ... just without particular steerability.

It'd be a sight.

d_silin a day ago | parent | prev [-]

...you have to pay me a lot for the answer to this question.

hirsin a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

At this point I'm going to assume that anyone pushing datacenters in space wants to host child pornography. That's the only realistic workload that ticks all the boxes for orbital datacenters.

ViscountPenguin a day ago | parent [-]

I don't think it would "solve" little any of the legal issues with Child Pornography (not if the owner lived on earth, at least), but it would make a great and politically convenient target for space to earth weaponry.

hirsin a day ago | parent [-]

Oh, fully agreed. Orbital datacenters don't solve many to any engineering problems either, so I figure its adherents are as much into legal problem solving as they are engineering problem solving.

ikiris a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Don't be coy, please indicate the math that works differently in silicon in a zero g environment if its not some regulation dodge.

d_silin a day ago | parent [-]

People in comments figured out half the answer already, the remaining half is left as an exercise for audience.

hooverd a day ago | parent | prev [-]

such as?

mlhpdx a day ago | parent [-]

Unregulated casinos?

compiler-guy a day ago | parent | next [-]

Unregulated casinos don't need this kind of compute. Most could be run on a decent raspberry pi or two.

At any rate, one basic communication's satellite worth of compute would be more than enough. No need for TPUs.

ViscountPenguin a day ago | parent [-]

A cube-sat casino is an interesting concept for sure.

Figs 21 hours ago | parent [-]

Hmm. Has anyone ever flown a pirate radio blimp?

xgulfie a day ago | parent | prev [-]

Human trafficking ring?