Tech advances help make supercomputers more accessible

Brown University is making its new supercomputer available to organizations statewide.

Increased web access to powerful computing networks, along with federal funding and the declining cost of parts for supercomputers, have made the technology more available to college students and university researchers.

Once the domain of elite universities that regularly roped in millions of dollars in funding for scientific research, supercomputers have become more readily available in higher education and through competitive programs that aid the most worthy projects that require supercomputing capabilities.

Cloud computing—accessing virtual warehouses of information and calculation tools via the internet—has played a major role in the democratization of supercomputing, experts said.…Read More

‘Global volunteer computing’ leads to scientific discovery

Networked computers can act in concert to form a virtual supercomputer to perform very large tasks.
Networked computers can act in concert to form a virtual supercomputer to perform very large tasks.

Ordinary computers like those folks use to send eMail or surf the internet are being credited with finding a previously unknown neutron star, highlighting the changing nature of research in the era of grid computing.

Home office computers in Ames, Iowa, and Mainz, Germany, were cited Aug. 12 in the discovery of fast-rotating pulsar called PSR J2007+2722.

It was the first scientific discovery for the project, known as Einstein@Home, which uses spare computer power donated by 250,000 volunteers in 192 countries, according to Bruce Allen, director of the effort.…Read More

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