This week the Google Green Blog reported on
Google’s use of energy in our
buildings and data centers. All Google’s services combined use about as much energy
per person in a month as a 60-watt light bulb burning for 3 hours, and the energy that is used
is offset completely. You can read the details here,
with a separate post describing our carbon
offsets program.
Smart people at Tufts University used an
infinitesimal amount of energy to power the smallest known electrical
motor. The motor is a single molecule of butyl methyl sulphide, measuring a
billionth of a meter across. Researchers are going to try to get a bunch of these molecules
together to create super-tiny gears and see what cool things they can learn.
Bigger machines also made nerdy news this week. NASA released images that show evidence
of human activity on the moon at the landing sites for Apollo 12, 14, and 17. The
photos show where the lunar rover parked, tools used by the astronauts, and even astronaut
footprints, all of which are intact 40 years after they were created. However, there is still
no known photographic evidence of the Googlunaplex.
Fridaygram posts are just for fun. They're designed for your Friday afternoon
and weekend enjoyment. Each Fridaygram item must pass only one test: it has to be interesting
to us nerds.
