|
|
Supercomputers Break Petaflop Barrier, Transforming ScienceWednesday, November 19th, 2008 By Betsy Mason | A new crop of supercomputers is breaking down the petaflop speed barrier, pushing high-performance computing into a new realm that could change science more profoundly than at any time since Galileo, leading researchers say. When the Top 500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers was announced at the international supercomputing conference in Austin, Texas, on Monday, IBM had barely managed to cling to the top spot, fending off a challenge from Cray. But both competitors broke petaflop speeds, performing 1.105 and 1.059 quadrillion floating-point calculations per second, the first two computers to do so. These computers aren’t just faster than those they pushed further down the list, they will enable a new class of science that wasn’t possible before. As recently described in Wired magazine, these massive number crunchers will push simulation to the forefront of science. Scientists will be able to run new and vastly more accurate models of complex phenomena: Climate models will have dramatically higher resolution and accuracy, new materials for efficient energy transmission will be developed and simulations of scramjet engines will reach a new level of complexity. “The scientific method has changed for the first time since Galileo invented the telescope (in 1609),” said computer scientist Mark Seager of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Supercomputing has made huge advances over the last decade or so, gradually packing on the ability to handle more and more data points in increasingly complex ways. It has enabled scientists to test theories, design experiments and predict outcomes as never before. But now, the new class of petaflop-scale machines is poised to bring about major qualitative changes in the way science is done. “The new capability allows you to do fundamentally new physics and tackle new problems,” said Thomas Zacharia, who heads up computer science at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, home of the second place Cray XT5 Jaguar supercomputer. “And it will accelerate the transition from basic research to applied technology.” Breaking the petaflop barrier, a feat that seemed astronomical just two years ago, won’t just allow faster computations. These computers will enable entirely new types of science that couldn’t have been done before. This new generation of petascale machines will move scientific simulation beyond just supporting the two main branches of science, theory and experimentation, and into the foreground. Instead of just hypotheses being tested with experiments and observations, large-scale extrapolation and prediction of things we can’t observe or that would be impractical for an experiment, will become central to many scientific endeavors. “It’s getting to the point where simulation is actually the third branch of science,” Seager said. “We say that nature is always the arbiter of truth, but it turns out our ability to observe nature is fundamentally limited.” Have Your Say: Supercomputers Break Petaflop Barrier, Transforming Science Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . DNA finger printing could soon reveal your surnameWednesday, October 8th, 2008 Have Your Say: DNA finger printing could soon reveal your surname Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . ‘Pre-crime’ detector shows promiseFriday, September 26th, 2008 Have Your Say: ‘Pre-crime’ detector shows promise Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . How industry money protects killer chemicalsFriday, September 12th, 2008 Have Your Say: How industry money protects killer chemicals Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Scientists to study synthetic telepathyThursday, August 21st, 2008 Have Your Say: Scientists to study synthetic telepathy Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Planets by the DozenMonday, May 12th, 2008 Have Your Say: Planets by the Dozen Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . New CSI Tool Analyzes AntibodiesTuesday, April 29th, 2008 Have Your Say: New CSI Tool Analyzes Antibodies Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Insects using plants as telephonesMonday, April 28th, 2008 Have Your Say: Insects using plants as telephones Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Cambridge University Twin Towers Theory DebunkedSaturday, February 2nd, 2008 Have Your Say: Cambridge University Twin Towers Theory Debunked Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Scientists discover way to reverse loss of memoryWednesday, January 30th, 2008 Have Your Say: Scientists discover way to reverse loss of memory Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Scientific Technique and the Concentration of PowerMonday, January 14th, 2008 Have Your Say: Scientific Technique and the Concentration of Power Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next SummerWednesday, January 9th, 2008 Have Your Say: First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Did White House Censor Science?Monday, December 10th, 2007 Have Your Say: Did White House Censor Science? Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Holes in the wall to see PINs in our eyesMonday, September 3rd, 2007 Have Your Say: Holes in the wall to see PINs in our eyes Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Lie detectors target benefit claim cheatsSunday, September 2nd, 2007 Have Your Say: Lie detectors target benefit claim cheats Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report in our forum . Related News
|
ALSO SEE
![]() Email This Page To A Friend Breaking Headlines
Stay Informed
RINF News Archives
Small Business Support
In light of the current financial climate, RINF has decided to support small & home based businesses. Give your support... Hotels Morecambe Web Hosting Reviews Log Splitter Home based business opportunities Find Office Chairs WoW guide reviews Get Ghillie Suits Best weight loss pills Online Dating |