344 Data Vampires Redux: Going Hyperscale (Episode 1)
Summary
Host Paris Marks reintroduces her 2024 series "Data Vampires" to preview her new book, *Hyperscale*. The episode traces the rise of hyperscale data centers, starting with Google’s secretive facility in The Dalles, Oregon, which secured massive tax breaks and water rights. Experts explain how cloud computing consolidated power among tech giants, leading to current community pushback against the environmental and social costs of AI-driven infrastructure expansion.
Topics discussed
Intro: Hyperscale book and Data Vampires series revisit
Google's secret data center in The Dalles, Oregon
Defining data centers and the rise of hyperscale
The shift to cloud computing and AWS origins
Cloud economics: Cost savings vs. vendor lock-in
Outsourcing infrastructure and dependency on Big Tech
AWS profits and the explosion of global data centers
Google's water usage in Oregon and community pushback
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