Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us
"Today, the Machine acts like a very large computer with top-level functions that operate at approximately the clock speed of an early PC. It processes 1 million emails each second, which essentially means network email runs at 1 megahertz. Same with Web searches. Instant messaging runs at 100 kilohertz, SMS at 1 kilohertz. The Machine's total external RAM is about 200 terabytes. In any one second, 10 terabits can be coursing through its backbone, and each year it generates nearly 20 exabytes of data. Its distributed "chip" spans 1 billion active PCs, which is approximately the number of transistors in one PC.
This planet-sized computer is comparable in complexity to a human brain. Both the brain and the Web have hundreds of billions of neurons (or Web pages). Each biological neuron sprouts synaptic links to thousands of other neurons, while each Web page branches into dozens of hyperlinks. That adds up to a trillion "synapses" between the static pages on the Web. The human brain has about 100 times that number - but brains are not doubling in size every few years. The Machine is." - Wired Magazine, "We Are The Web"
posted by Unknown @ 2/07/2007 10:40:00 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Hierachrical Design. Bone: collagen molecules form collagen microfibrils which form collagen fibrils which wrap into lamella which when blood supply is encorperated form osteons which line up to form cortical bone. Everything that humans are, our entire bodies, are extrapolations of simple design compounding itself into large manifestations of the smallest piece. Is it any wonder then, that when our bodies begin interacting...say in the form of the internet...that it is simply an exponentially larger system manifesting and magnifying the qualities of the smallest piece? Should we then be concerned...knowing ourselves as we do...about the capabilites and desires of such a machine, should they ever manifest themselves independently of us...or perhaps even with our complicity?
I would say that "anonymous" has a great idea. . .but then I recall the billions of people who never have or will see a computer due to extreme poverty, like, almost the entire continent of Africa, for example. We should consider ourselves so fortunate to be able to even have a blog and formulate ideas such as anonymous' idea, and then perhaps take a second to step outside of our personal reality and consider the reality of other less fortunate people. I think it's more interesting and productive to consider other people's realities and then maybe do something to help our fellow human kind. My 2 cents.
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