Nostalgic Nerds Podcast
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Season 2 · Episode 1

The AI Gigawatt Thirst Trap

16 January 2026 · 33 min

Cover art for The AI Gigawatt Thirst Trap

Show notes

We're back with our first episode of Season 2 - The AI Gigawatt Thirst Trap. It was nice to have a little break, but Marc and Renee are back in the studio recording. Season 2 promises more infrastructure, more laughs, more music, and more nerdiness.

In our very first episode of Season 1, we talked about AI’s growing appetite for electricity. This time, we turn to something even more fundamental: water. From rivers that powered early industry to modern data centres that use millions of gallons to stay cool, we explore how scaling technology has always depended on scaling water. Along the way, we look at what actually happens to that water, why residential bills are rising, and what the future might hold when digital infrastructure runs up against very physical limits.


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Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now.

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In this episode

  1. 0:00 S2E1 - The AI Gigawatt Thirst Trap
  2. 0:15 Introduction to AI Data Centers
  3. 2:02 Water Infrastructure and Its Importance
  4. 4:19 Industrial Water Use Through History
  5. 6:45 Case Study: Victorian London
  6. 11:02 Case Study: Owens Valley Aqueduct
  7. 13:26 Modern Data Centers and Water Usage
  8. 17:39 Future Solutions for Water Management
  9. 20:28 The Political Landscape of Water Resources
  10. 24:23 Innovations in Cooling Technology
  11. 29:13 Conclusion and Future Perspectives