The Connectivity Podcast

Javad Shabani is Assistant Professor of Physics and Director of the Center of Quantum Information Physics at New York University. He joins the podcast to share his expertise on the quantum development:

• How close are we to some really cool stuff in this area – in the lab and in the real world?
• Quantum computing use cases
• Infrastructure limitations
• Quantum Key Distribution
• Competing for skills with big tech companies

Marina Otero Verzier is an architect and researcher who in 2022 received Harvard’s Wheelwright Prize for a project on the future of data storage. She aims to publish the first open-source manual for global data center architecture design, featuring examples of ecological, sustainable, and egalitarian data storage models used in data centers across the world. Marina Otero Verzier’s work is especially urgent at a time when digital-data production is outpacing the scalability of today’s storage solutions, and AI usage is on the rise.

In this episode, Marina Otero Verzier and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• Government involvement in the data center industry 
• New frontiers for data center design, like data centers in space  
• Physical security of data centers
• Measuring data center sustainability
• Quantum computing’s impact on data center design
• The rise of decentralized networks of data centers, using a variety of architectures, complementing the traditional facilities

Marina Otero Verzier is an architect and researcher who in 2022 received Harvard’s Wheelwright Prize for a project on the future of data storage. She aims to publish the first open-source manual for global data center architecture design, featuring examples of ecological, sustainable, and egalitarian data storage models used in data centers across the world. Marina Otero Verzier’s work is especially urgent at a time when digital-data production is outpacing the scalability of today’s storage solutions, and AI usage is on the rise.

In this episode, Marina Otero Verzier and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• Trends driving the need for more sustainable data centers
• Her awarded project on the future of data storage, Future Storage: Architectures to Host the Metaverse
• The benefits of bringing architectural skills to the colocations industry
• Insights from the data centers that Marina has visited across the world 
• Factors besides connectivity that matter when choosing a data center location, such as energy consumption, tax benefits, climate, access to water and land
• Data center locations that Marina plans to visit next for her research 

Michael Potter is an entrepreneur, documentary filmmaker, author, and social enterprise investor. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• Obstacles to overcome in developing countries and how Geeks without Frontiers, an NGO co-founded by Michael, can support this work.
• His involvement in Intel’s N50 initiative, striving for digital adoption for the next 50% of the planet.
• Michael's work as a documentary film producer for titles including Do You Dream in Color?, Orphans of Apollo, The University, and Immortality or Bust.
• The power of exponential technology like AI and the challenges it brings for policymakers. 
• How the decentralization movement can empower individuals and small businesses to do good things. 

Michael Potter is an entrepreneur, documentary filmmaker, author, and social enterprise investor. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• Michael’s professional background in the 80’s, working as a nuclear arms controller, with international telecoms at the United Nations, and joining the very first class of students at the International Space University.
• The story of Esprit Telecom, a European telco co-founded by Michael in the 90's, and how the company challenged the telecoms incumbents.
• Geeks without Frontiers, an NGO co-founded by Michael promoting technology including broadband connectivity to support health, education, poverty reduction and gender equality in developing countries. 

Chris Stott is a renowned space entrepreneur with a passion for the economics and commerce of space. He is the founder and CEO of Lonestar, a company about to send the first in a series of data centers to the moon for disaster recovery and edge processing. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• Edge computing: where is the edge and what developments are happening in this area?
• Where is AI heading?
• Do people understand connectivity to the cloud?
• The future for data storage and cloud

Chris Stott is a renowned space entrepreneur with a passion for the economics and commerce of space. He is the founder and CEO of Lonestar, a company about to send the first in a series of data centers to the moon for disaster recovery and edge processing. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• The concept of moon-based data centers
• The documentary film “The University” – featuring Stephen Hawking, Buzz Aldrin, Will.i.Am among others – for which Chris was an Executive Producer
• Connecting the unconnected
• Space programs that could save the planet
• Securing the cloud

Albert-László Barabási is a network scientist at Northeastern University, and holds an appointment in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Barabási’s research covers all sorts of networks and he is the author of several books. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss: 

• The Barabási–Albert model: an algorithm for generating random scale-free networks 
• What Internet operators can learn from network science
• Barabási’s work in network medicine
• Using big data and network tools to understand how art and science develop 
• What areas of Internet networks that will be in focus in five years’ time 

Albert-László Barabási is a network scientist at Northeastern University, and holds an appointment in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Barabási’s research covers all sorts of networks and he is the author of several books. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss: 

• The similarity between different networks – neurological, social, Internet and more
• The robustness of Internet
• How Barabási and his research teams are using maps – from brain to Internet maps 
• The idea of universality in networks dynamics
• How Barabási is visualising his research of networks through art
• His best-selling book ”Linked” that focuses on the study of networks

Katsuyasu Toyama, COO at JPNAP, the biggest Internet exchange in Japan, is back to talk about the connectivity market in Japan - the world's 3rd largest economy. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss:

• The usage of public and private cloud services in Japan
• Getting the younger generation aware and interested in the Internet infrastructure
• Whether users understand connectivity or if they take it for granted
• The Japanese peering market
• Mitigating DDoS attacks
• How the telecoms market in Japan will develop over the next five years