How much energy are we wasting by searching the Internet?

Thanks to modern technology the entire world is at the reach of our fingertips with the invention of smartphones. These little devices have become such a basic commodity that the majority of people in our societies have them but, have you ever thought about how much energy they consume?

 In an interview with SINC Albert Fert stated, “The most uncomfortable thing about mobile phones is the constant need to recharge them.” Although technology is constantly improving, the race to improve mobile phone batteries by making them charge in a shorter period of time and making their batteries last longer is a never-ending feat.

In 2007 Albert Fert, along with Peter Grünberg were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance (GMR). GMR is a technology that is used in order to read data on hard disks. Additionally, it is responsible for hard disks having become so miniature in recent years, as data storage gets bigger but hard disks get smaller. The discovery and use of GMR opened the door for experiments in order to create computers, hard drives, mobile phones (amongst other appliances) that not only have greater storage capacity – without necessarily increasing in size – but are faster and more efficient.

 That being said, Fert is trying to tackle one issue at a time. Currently working in France, he is researching new materials in order to reduce energy consumption through the use of these electronic appliances. “20% of the world’s electricity consumption in 2030 will come from the digital transmission of data,” stated Fert regarding a study that was published in the magazine Challenges. He is specifically interested in the energy wasted when using search engines such as Google.

What does Google have to do with it?

Search engines such as Google, are the biggest consumers of energy, sometimes they consume more energy than the computer itself! There is a constant increment of documents and information being transferred online, meaning search engines use more energy than ever before to find exactly what you are searching for. “As more and more things go online, the energy consumption of data centres will increase in the next ten years by a factor of 10,” Fert explained.

How much energy does using a search engine consuming exactly? Fert explained that “Thirty searches on Google correspond to the energy needed to boil one litre of water.” By using search engines an immense amount of electricity is used and wasted. He goes on to explain, “We waste energy uselessly when searching the Internet. It’s possible to find all our answers with a computer but due to our lazy nature we resort to Google and create links in order to reach websites.”

Future computers

The part of a computer that consumes the majority of the energy is the random-access memory (RAM). In order for data to be stored, the computer has to be continuously providing energy, which results in high consumption of energy and electricity.

 Technology is ever-evolving and improving, so it comes as no surprise that it is expected in the future for newer computers to consume less energy. These computers will be based on quantum mechanics.

 Future computers could be based around humans. Fert discusses the future of computers and neuromorphic systems, in which computers are inspired by human brains. These new “bioinspired” machines reproduce synapses and neurons with microcircuits, imitating what happens in the human brain.

 The problem with computers today is that they waste immense amounts of energy between the operational systems and the memory. The brain, however, operates differently, “Memory and signal propagation to memory occurs at the same time. As soon as a signal passes from neuron to neuron, a synapse is traversed, it changes and is memorized,” explains Fert.

 Will it ever be possible for computing to leap into the future? Cut the consumption of energy used and imitate the human brain?