How Heavy is Data ... All of it?

Data Is As Heavy As An Apple.

I mean the literal weight of data, all of the data on the internet, weighs only as much as an apple.

A fascinating attempt to theoretically estimate the internet data weight initiated by a professor of computer science at the University of California, named Dr. John Kubiatowicz, subsequently was also followed up by many other scholars, to continue to estimate the weight of data as it doubles in size every 5 years.

Using Einstein’s famous equation (E=mc--2) and a conservative estimate of 10-15 Joules per bit of stored data, Russell Seitz used the idea that the internet is composed of server networks that run the internet. He approximates that 100 million servers are operating at around 350- 550 watts each (Seitz, 2006) or 40 billion watts collectively. Given this information, and the fact that silicon logic runs at approximately 3 volts and a chip runs at a gigahertz, Seitz calculates that the entire weight of the internet is approximately 50 grams, the same as the weight of a large strawberry.

Of course, these figures were based on the internet a decade ago. According to recent studies, 90% of the data has been created within the last two years (Hale, 2017). In a 2014 study by Supercomputing Frontiers, the estimated storage capacity of the internet was 1024 bytes. However, it could be argued that a better way to estimate the size of the internet is to measure its communication capacity which, according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index Initiative is approximately two zettabytes per year! (Pappas, 2016)

Using the estimated storage capacity, the fact that an electron weighs approximately 9.1x10-31, and the knowledge that there are approximately 40,000 electrons per bit (Cass, 2007) (although only around half of these are stored as 1’s), we can estimate that the internet now weighs around 5 ounces, which is equivalent to the weight of an average apple.

I wonder if I would be around when the data weighs as much as the largest pumpkin ever harvested.

What do you guys think about the approach scholars are taking to weigh the Data?