![Where the internet lives](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240203_TQR_SQ.jpg)
The physical internet
Where the internet lives
Users of the internet can ignore its physical underpinnings. But for technologies like artificial intelligence and the metaverse to work, others need to pay attention, argues Abby Bertics
- The foundations of the cloud: Users of the internet need not think about its physical underpinnings
- Towers of glass and steel: Advances in physical storage and retrieval made the cloud possible
- The edge of tomorrow: The internet got better and faster by moving data closer to users
- The internet and climate change: Data centres improved greatly in energy efficiency as they grew massively larger
- Politics: The physical borders of the digital world
- Starlink: Satellites offer an important alternative to the wired internet
- Securing the cloud’s future: The internet is integrated into virtually every aspect of life
- The physical internet: Sources and acknowledgments
![Depiction of internet infrastructure: routers and servers connected by cables, symbolising the essential components that form the backbone of the internet.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD001.jpg)
The foundations of the cloud
Users of the internet need not think about its physical underpinnings
But for technologies like artificial intelligence and the metaverse to work, others will have to, argues Abby Bertics
![Small, friendly creatures popping out of clouds against a backdrop of a shining sun.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD002.jpg)
Towers of glass and steel
Advances in physical storage and retrieval made the cloud possible
But more progress is needed to sustain it
![Undersea scene with cables and pipes, as a figure navigates in a mini submarine, exploring the ocean depths.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD003.jpg)
The edge of tomorrow
The internet got better and faster by moving data closer to users
Now the same must happen with computing power
![Interconnected components in a digital ecosystem: fiber optic cables, switches, servers, and cooling systems. The elements are linked through cables, and a friendly creature adds a touch of whimsy to the technological landscape.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD004.jpg)
The internet and climate change
Data centres improved greatly in energy efficiency as they grew massively larger
But can this continue into the age of AI?
![Cable spanning various landscapes, including both land and sea. On one side, a submarine is seen underwater, while on the other side, a ship peacefully sails by, emphasising the diverse and interconnected nature of global communication pathways.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD005.jpg)
Politics
The physical borders of the digital world
To remain geopolitically robust as it gets more potent, the internet will need more diverse interconnections
![Friendly spaceship/satellite dropping amusing creatures along its flight path.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD006.jpg)
Starlink
Satellites offer an important alternative to the wired internet
But most of them will be owned by billionaires with their own interests
![Small creature standing in front of a massive fort with intricate electrical components on the ceiling, blending fantasy and technology in a captivating setting.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240203_TQD007.jpg)
Securing the cloud’s future
The internet is integrated into virtually every aspect of life
It needs to be kept secure, and kept growing
Previous report
![In search of forever](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20230930_TQR_SQ.jpg)
Longevity
In search of forever
Slowing, let alone reversing, the process of ageing was once alchemical fantasy. Now it is a subject of serious research and investment, Geoffrey Carr reports
- In search of forever: Slowing human ageing is now the subject of serious research
- Don’t be greedy: Eating fewer calories can ward off ageing
- Out with the old: Ageing bodies need to get rid of decrepit cells
- Of bowheads and borzois: Alternatives to the laboratory mouse
- You can’t have everything: Older genomes have more dodgy genes
- Give us the tools: Fighting ageing requires properly equipped cells
- Blood and guts: What the young can give to the old
- A design for living: Some claim human lifespans can be lengthened indefinitely