PULLMAN, Wash. – The fastest university supercomputer in the world – and what it could mean for science and engineering research – will be discussed 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, in Life Sciences Building 402. A reception will be at 3:30 p.m.
“Petascale Computing: Advancing the Frontiers of Computational Research,” will be presented by Thom H. Dunning, Jr., Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing, as the WSU Vice President for Research Distinguished Lecture.
Registration is required at http://www.ogrd.wsu.edu/workshops.asp#384.
Blue Waters, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, is available to researchers worldwide. It can complete more than 1 quadrillion calculations per second on a sustained basis and more than 13 times that at peak speed.
It balances processing speed with data storage, memory and communication to cater to a wide variety of scientific endeavors. A project may simulate the evolution of the cosmos, delve into fine-scale processes in molecular dynamics, or anything in between.
In the increasingly data-rich world, supercomputers are allowing researchers to recognize phenomena, connections and patterns in their search for knowledge. The impact of these new computing capabilities will be profound, affecting science, engineering and society.
Blue Waters is supported by the National Science Foundation and the University of Illinois. The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (http://www.ncsa.illinois.edu/) manages the project and provides expertise to help scientists and engineers take full advantage of it.