Nix the Net, Get on the Grid

Scientists at the CERN are developing a new form of lightning-fast information transfer that could render the Internet obsolete.

Called "the Grid," it is being built to handle the large output of data from the particle accelerator they are building (called the Large Hadron Collider). Built from dedicated fiber optic cables and routing centers, it eliminates bottlenecks and drag points which slow transfer across the Net. The Grid runs on more than 20k servers located worldwide. It will be capable of transferring data approximately 10,000 times faster than your average broadband connection.

This means you could transfer holographic images. To wrap your brain around it, one scientist estimated you could send everything the Rolling Stones ever recorded from London to Tokyo in just under two seconds!

If everything goes according to plan, both the Grid and the Large Hadron Collider will go live later this year.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008