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I have access to the 6th fastest super computer and I'm pretty sure that it is not used to simulate nuclear explosions.

by __mp 11y ago

azaras 11y ago
What does it simulate? Thanks.
- ssully 11y ago
  Argonne National Labs, which is 5th fastest I think, is used for weather models, material science, and more[1] [1]http://www.alcf.anl.gov/ http://www.alcf.anl.gov/
  - dekhn 11y ago
    There are dual-use systems which run classified and non-classified codes (they can be partitioned.. They typically live at LANL or LLNL rather than ANL or Berkeley (Berkeley in particlar doesn't do any classified work). Note that most classified codes are actually physics/material/explosion/plasma physics simulations and you can't always tell they are running on your system. I checked the list of projects running on ALCF and I see some pretty obvious nuclear weapon stockpile stewardship and weapon design projects, such as "Validation Simulations of Macroscopic Burning-Plasma Dynamics"
    - Trombone12 11y ago
      Nucleosynthesis of heavier materials in supernova explosions and neutron star mergers are two cases of problems that I guess are used for "publicly" validating dark codes. (I know a guy that Los Alamos is trying to recruit to do some dark work for them, and he does nucleosynthesis in neutron star mergers.)
      - dekhn 11y ago
        Those would be useful, but typically the validation codes use terms like "multiscale combustion physics" or "coupled neutron/radiation transport". I think the folks simulating supernova and neutron stars have a lot of physics overlaps, but I don't think that data is used directly for stockpile stewardship.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- jerven 11y ago
  That should be Piz Daint at CSCS, so Super conductor behavior, weather and many other things. Mostly non embarrassingly parallel problems, where its high speed interconnect pays off.
  - juliangregorian 11y ago
    Can we please stop calling things "embarrassingly parallel". Just what the hell is embarrassing about highly parallelizable algorithms?
    - lorenzhs 11y ago
      The term "embarrassingly parallel" doesn't refer to algorithms, it refers to problems which can be computed in such a manner, stating that they're not very interesting for parallel algorithms research. But yeah, it's kind of a stupid term. Would you be okay with "pleasingly parallel"? ;)
      - juliangregorian 11y ago
        Potato, potato. I don't make the rules. I just think "embarrassingly parallel" sounds like a college freshman trying way too hard to sound smart and cool.
        jerven 11y ago
        It called "embarrassingly parallel" because it is embarrassing for the Cray and other supercomputer vendors sales people when their expensive hardware does not outperform a 5 year old solution that cost 1/2 their fancy gear ;) Otherwise data parallel is an other phrase that is used for the same concept.

I have access to the 6th fastest super computer and I'm pretty sure that it is not used to simulate nuclear explosions.

by __mp 11y ago

I have access to the 6th fastest super computer and I'm pretty sure that it is not used to simulate nuclear explosions.

azaras 11y ago

What does it simulate? Thanks.

ssully 11y ago
Argonne National Labs, which is 5th fastest I think, is used for weather models, material science, and more[1] [1]http://www.alcf.anl.gov/ http://www.alcf.anl.gov/
- dekhn 11y ago
  There are dual-use systems which run classified and non-classified codes (they can be partitioned.. They typically live at LANL or LLNL rather than ANL or Berkeley (Berkeley in particlar doesn't do any classified work). Note that most classified codes are actually physics/material/explosion/plasma physics simulations and you can't always tell they are running on your system. I checked the list of projects running on ALCF and I see some pretty obvious nuclear weapon stockpile stewardship and weapon design projects, such as "Validation Simulations of Macroscopic Burning-Plasma Dynamics"
  - Trombone12 11y ago
    Nucleosynthesis of heavier materials in supernova explosions and neutron star mergers are two cases of problems that I guess are used for "publicly" validating dark codes. (I know a guy that Los Alamos is trying to recruit to do some dark work for them, and he does nucleosynthesis in neutron star mergers.)
    - dekhn 11y ago
      Those would be useful, but typically the validation codes use terms like "multiscale combustion physics" or "coupled neutron/radiation transport". I think the folks simulating supernova and neutron stars have a lot of physics overlaps, but I don't think that data is used directly for stockpile stewardship.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
jerven 11y ago
That should be Piz Daint at CSCS, so Super conductor behavior, weather and many other things. Mostly non embarrassingly parallel problems, where its high speed interconnect pays off.
- juliangregorian 11y ago
  Can we please stop calling things "embarrassingly parallel". Just what the hell is embarrassing about highly parallelizable algorithms?
  - lorenzhs 11y ago
    The term "embarrassingly parallel" doesn't refer to algorithms, it refers to problems which can be computed in such a manner, stating that they're not very interesting for parallel algorithms research. But yeah, it's kind of a stupid term. Would you be okay with "pleasingly parallel"? ;)
    - juliangregorian 11y ago
      Potato, potato. I don't make the rules. I just think "embarrassingly parallel" sounds like a college freshman trying way too hard to sound smart and cool.
      - jerven 11y ago
        It called "embarrassingly parallel" because it is embarrassing for the Cray and other supercomputer vendors sales people when their expensive hardware does not outperform a 5 year old solution that cost 1/2 their fancy gear ;) Otherwise data parallel is an other phrase that is used for the same concept.