The Growth of Data Centers: Considering the Transition from Cornfields to Server Farms.
Every time you ask an AI chatbot to write a Christmas letter, a computer somewhere starts sweating like it just heard “family group photo.” That somewhere is usually a data center, a big, plain building packed with servers, cooling gear, backup power, and enough cables to make spaghetti feel underdressed.
Data centers are where the internet does its chores.
In PragerU’s The Brief episode from September 18, 2026, Shabbos Kestenbaum talks with Joe Honan, CEO of Singularity Compute, about why these buildings are suddenly everywhere.
The short version: AI needs a ridiculous amount of computing power. That power has to live somewhere.
Some sites are massive hyperscale campuses. Others are smaller edge data centers placed closer to users so apps, searches, and AI tools respond faster. Either way, they’re the internet’s engine room. You don’t see them when you stream a movie or ask a chatbot for lasagna advice, but they’re doing the work.
The cooling problem is very real.
Modern chips run hot. Not “left coffee in the car” hot. More like “tiny electric toaster army” hot.
That’s why data centers use serious cooling systems, including liquid cooling in some setups, to keep equipment from overheating. The building may look boring from the road, but inside it’s a carefully managed box of heat, power, and airflow. They recycle the water they use and can generate their own power, which they can share to lower costs.
Neighbors have fair questions.
Local concerns aren’t silly. Data centers can raise questions about:
Electricity use
Water use
Noise
Grid strain
Who pays for new power lines
The episode even mentions a dustup involving the Nashville Zoo, which is a sentence that sounds fake but apparently belongs in the data center conversation now.
Private companies should pay their own way. If a project needs new grid work, the retiree down the road shouldn’t get stuck holding the bill like it’s the world’s worst potluck assignment.
At the same time, these projects can bring good-paying construction and skilled-trade jobs, many of which don’t require a four-year degree.
The politics are getting louder.
The episode notes that a House Science Committee probe is looking into a report that activist groups opposing U.S. data centers received more than $39 million from foreign donors.
That doesn’t mean every local critic is part of some international plot. Most people at zoning meetings just want to know why the lights flicker and the bill went up.
Still, it’s fair to ask who funds the loudest campaigns.
The bigger fight is about AI and China.
Honan’s bigger point is national security. AI will be built somewhere. If the United States slows down too much, China won’t send a sympathy card and wait politely. He even floats the idea of data centers in orbit someday, which would solve zoning fights and create a whole new category of “my neighbor’s satellite is too loud” complaints.
The realistic takeaway is simple: data centers bring real trade-offs, but the answer isn’t pretending AI can run on vibes. Build them here, make companies pay their fair share, protect local communities, and keep the future under American laws and values. America should lead, build, and win, while making sure Big Tech pays its own electric bill, not your family.
Based on PragerU’s The Brief*, “What Are Data Centers — and Why Are They Suddenly Everywhere?” (September 18, 2026), hosted by Shabbos Kestenbaum with guest Joe Honan, CEO of Singularity Compute.*
Source: “The Brief” PragerU: Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCKxcPdh2h0
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