We are ignoring the true cost of water-guzzling data centres

The 1960s ushered in a new age of processing digital information, driven by the intelligence needs of the cold war. Moore’s law meant microchips doubled in speed every two years, shrinking costs and miniaturising machines that once filled entire rooms. Today, the smartphone probably being used to read this article is millions of times more powerful than the computer that landed the Apollo missions on the moon.

“Data centres accounted for around 1% or 2% of global electricity demand in 2020.”

While those huge supercomputers have disappeared, the proliferation of the cloud and the internet of things, with everything down to our socks being able to connect to the internet, means more and more computer processors that need to communicate with data centres around the world. Even something as simple as scrolling down on this article triggers communications that may eventually pass through a distant data centre.

Data centres can range in size from small cabinets through to vast “hyperscale” warehouses the size of stadiums. Inside, are computers called servers which support the software, apps and websites we use every day…READ ON

The Impact of Liminal Space on Your Mental Health

Anthropologist Arnold van Gennep first wrote about the concept of liminality when he developed the idea of the rites of passage.1He defined a “rite of separation” (preliminary rite), rite of transition (liminal rite), and rite of incorporation (post-liminal rite). This transition theory explained that changes in people’s life stages follow this pattern.

“When liminal space is perceived as a danger, uncertainty, or a stressor, the feelings can lead to anything from anxiety to depression to suicidal ideation.”

Liminal spaces can have harmful effects on mental health—if you let them. It is inevitable that you might encounter various liminal spaces throughout your life. In fact, life is just one liminal space between birth and death.

We’ll explain some liminal spaces you might experience in your life and how to cope with the uncertainty…READ ON