SMARTER STRATEGIES

Five Big Digital Brains

Joe Maglitta | Date: 10-22-09 | Comments

Big problems take big computing smarts. Meet five smokin� super-simulators.

Big problems � figuring out how the brain works, gauging the effectiveness of H1N1 flu drugs, recreating the universe�s origins � demand big computer smarts. We�re talking teraflops � trillions of floating point instructions per second.

The November issue of Wired magazine features its choices for the world�s biggest, baddest supercomputers/super-clusters. While �low performance computing� and the cloud are the topic du jour in grid and high-performance computing circles, let�s face it: For raw excitement and computing excitement, these more traditional �super simulators� still sizzle. By order of size:

Ranger

Texas Advanced Computing Center, Austin, Texas
Processors 15,744
Peak teraflops 504

Replicates the interactions of the H1N1 flu virus with the human body and the effect of various over-the-counter drugs.

Earth Simulator
Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
Processors 1,280
Peak teraflops 131

Runs global climate simulations. A recent upgrade tripled its speed, meaning more accurate and timely predictions.

Discover
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Processors 11,032
Peak teraflops 111

Reproduces Earth�s paleolithic-era climate and uses it to test new models for predicting weather patterns.

Blue Brain
Ecole Polytechnique F�d�rale de Lausanne, Switzerland¹
Processors 8,192
Peak teraflops 22.4

Simulates the interactions among neurons in the neocortex � the brain�s reasoning center � to learn how thinking works

Visualization Cluster
Hayden Planetarium, New York City
Processors 300
Peak teraflops 5.54

Re-creates the universe. When the visitors leave, scientists from around the world take over the Planetarium to play what-if.

True cyber speed freaks will want to keep score of the world�s baddest big iron at http://www.top500.org/