When a Truck Beats the Internet: Shipping Data at Scale

It sounds backwards, but sometimes the fastest way to move a hundred petabytes of data is to load it into a shipping container and drive it across the country. This episode unpacks the physics and economics behind AWS Snowmobile, Backblaze Fireball, and the surprisingly common practice of shipping hard drives instead of using fiber. We explore how data integrity is maintained during transit, the privacy and compliance advantages of physical transport, and why a 1981 observation about station wagons full of tapes still holds true today. From NASA satellite imagery to hedge fund trading models, we cover who actually uses these services and how they keep your bits intact while bouncing down the highway.