[beefield]

unless... the compute happens also in space? Given how dirt cheap solar has become, how cheap shipping stuff to space is becoming and how little there are clouds and nights in the space making solar power production intermittent, it sounds like it might be economically feasible in not so distant future. (no, I haven't done any math on this. If it checks out, feel free to steal the idea)

[exe34]

Ugh solar wind and cosmic rays. You'd need to use very inefficient CPUs with enormous features instead of the latest small node.

[octopoc]

Your comment got me wondering if it's possible to stay in earth's shadow continuously without constant fuel expenditure, but apparently that's not possible: https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/55271/are-any-eart...

[actionfromafar]

On the other hand, there's a lot of space... in space.

[exe34]

The issue with large components (we're talking microns instead of 20nm), is the launch weights (coming down), and power (also coming down). Large components also mean larger silicon dies which are much more expensive, and/or fewer components per die, which means now the CPUs are on different chips and need interconnect, which increases latency and interference. Not impossible, just a load of min-max-ing to do.

[actionfromafar]

You would make the stuff in space, too. Give it a gentle shove off the factory loading dock (factory is on an asteroid) and a couple of years later it shows up in earth orbit, if you get your orbital calculations right…

[adrianN]

Getting stuff from the asteroid belt to earth orbit is about as hard as the other way round. Definitely more than a gentle push

[actionfromafar]

Not literally a gentle push, but very little rocket action is needed. The gravity well of an asteroid is tiny. The rest can be done with the correct slingshot maneuvers, the problem is calculating it. I am sure I have read something or other from NASA about it.

[rockemsockem]

Also true!!

[rockemsockem]

Heat dissipation in space is hard.

[ben_w]

And the Earth is in space, so if we get to the power consumption level where Earth governments need to care about the direct planetary heating effect of the energy source, it's still a win to do the hard thing (dissipation) somewhere else, like the Moon or something.