Research by Dr. Melvin Vopson, a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, highlights the physics of information creation and the need to store large amounts of digital data.

“Assuming current growth trends in digital content continue, the world will reach the“ singularity ”of the maximum amount of digital information that can be generated and the need to maintain maintain it, called an information disaster, ”Vopson stressed.

According to the researcher, "information disaster" will add to current global challenges such as climate, environment, population, food, health, energy and security.

The study looked at the incredible evolution of digital bits - the units used to measure computer data. At the singularity, more digital bits will be produced than atoms on the planet.

"Producing digital information will then consume the majority of the planet’s energy capacity," Vopson said.

At the current data storage density, with the number of bits produced each year and a 50% annual growth rate, the number of bits will be equal to the number of atoms on Earth in about 150 years.

Vopson calculates it will take about 130 years until the energy needed to sustain the creation of digital information will be equal to all of the energy currently being produced on our planet. Research says that by 2245, half of the Earth’s mass will be the mass of digital information.

In extreme cases where our digital information production growth is maintained at 50% per year, by 2070 we will have 1 kg of digital bit content on the planet stored on all traditional and cloud data storage centers and endpoints such as PCs, smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT). Similarly, with a growth rate of 50% per year, by 2245, half of the planet’s mass will be made up of digital bits.