Fastest Supercomputer Comes to Tennessee

Why Is This Supercomputer So Superfast?

by Steve Henn

October 30, 2012 3:00 PM

All Things Considered

Cray employees put the finishing touches on Titan at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The supercomputer may be the world's fastest. It's designed to do 20 petaflops — or 20,000 trillion calculations — each second. It consumes enough electricity to power a small city of 9,000 people.

Courtesy of Nvidia

 

The world's fastest supercomputers have come back to the U.S. In June, the title was claimed by a machine named Sequoia at Lawrence Livermore Labs. Monday, at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, what could be an even faster computer comes online. It's called Titan and it would not have been possible were it not for the massive market for video games.

The first thing you notice when you visit Titan is the noise. The room reminds me of a 1980s-era Kmart — but much louder. The room is very large, about a half acre. Big stainless steel pipes help keep Titan cool. The pipes have been repurposed from the dairy industry, which is not surprising considering that Cray, the company that built the computer, is based in Wisconsin. Cray built special fans to cool each cabinet. The fans are so powerful the floor in the room vibrates.

All of this complicated engineering is in the service of speed.

Titan is quite possibly the fastest computer in the world. We won't know for sure for a few weeks, but Titan is designed to do more than 20,000 trillion calculations a second.

More - Link >>> http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/10/29/163894669/why-is-this-supercomputer-so-superfast

Source: National Public Radio.

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19th Century British Computer?

Could the Computer Age Have Begun in Victorian England?

Jeremy Hsu, TechNewsDaily Senior Writer

Date: 31 October 2012 Time: 10:09 AM ET

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Famed mathematician Charles Babbage designed a Victorian-era computer called the Analytical Engine. This is a portion of the mill with a printing mechanism. CREDIT: Science Museum | Science & Society Picture Library View full size image

A Victorian-era device might have jumpstarted the Computer Age more than 100 years before the first personal computers of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. That century-old dream has inspired a British programmer to launch a crowd-funding effort that can finally make the steam-powered "Analytical Engine" a reality.

The early computer concept — a brass-and-iron machine the size of a small steam locomotive — came from the mind of Charles Babbage, a famed mathematician who tinkered with different designs for the Analytical Engine until his death in 1871.

The Plan 28 project aims to build Babbage's machine by raising $8 million (5 million in British pounds) over the next 10 years.
"The Analytical Engine would have been the world's first computer," said John Graham-Cumming, a programmer and director of Plan 28.

More - Link >>> http://www.livescience.com/24422-computer-age-victorian-england.html

Sources: TechNewsDaily.com , LiveScience.com .

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Citizen Planet Hunters: Kepler Space Telescope Data Now Available

Additional Kepler Data Now Available to All Planet Hunters

ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2012) — The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., is releasing 12 additional months worth of planet-searching data meticulously collected by one of the most prolific planet-hunting endeavors ever conceived, NASA's Kepler Mission.

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Artist's impression of the Kepler telescope.

(Source: Wikipedia.org )

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As of Oct. 28, 2012, every observation from the extrasolar planet survey made by Kepler since its launch in 2009 through June 27, 2012, is available to scientists and the public. This treasure-trove contains more than 16 terabytes of data and is housed at the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes, or MAST, at the Space Telescope Science Institute. MAST is a huge data archive containing astronomical observations from 16 NASA space astronomy missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope.

More - Link >>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121029133542.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Space+%26+Time+News%29

Kepler Spacecraft Data - Link >> http://www.planethunters.org/

More about the Kepler Space Telescope - Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_(spacecraft)
..
Other Citizen Science Projects:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/FAQ/citizenscience.html 


Sources: NASA, Space Telescope Science Institute, PlanetHunters.org , ScienceDaily.com , Wikipedia.org .

gaw

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Hurricane Sandy in 3-D: NASA's TRMM Satellite

NASA's TRMM Satellite Analyzes Hurricane Sandy in 3-D

ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2012) — NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite, can measure rainfall rates and cloud heights in tropical cyclones, and was used to create an image to look into Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 28, 2012. Owen Kelly of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created this image of Hurricane Sandy using TRMM data.

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Hurricane Sandy as viewed by the TRMM Precipitation Radar at 2:20 EDT on Oct. 28, 2012. (Credit: NASA)

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At 2:20 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 28, Hurricane Sandy was a marginal category 1 hurricane and its eyewall is modest, as TRMM reveals, which gives forecasters and scientists hints about its possible future strength.

More - Link >>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121029092635.htm

More on NASA's TRMM Satellite - Link >>> http://pmm.nasa.gov/TRMM


Sources: NASA, ScienceDaily.com .

gaw

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Quantum Theory: Looking Beyond Space & Time

Looking Beyond Space and Time to Cope With Quantum Theory

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2012) — Physicists have proposed an experiment that could force us to make a choice between extremes to describe the behaviour of the Universe.

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Trying to explain quantum “spooky action at a distance” using any kind of signal pits Einstein’s relativity against our concept of a smooth spacetime. (Credit: Timothy Yeo / CQT, National University of Singapore)

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The proposal comes from an international team of researchers from Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Singapore, and is published October 28 in Nature Physics. It is based on what the researchers call a 'hidden influence inequality'. This exposes how quantum predictions challenge our best understanding about the nature of space and time, Einstein's theory of relativity.

"We are interested in whether we can explain the funky phenomena we observe without sacrificing our sense of things happening smoothly in space and time," says Jean-Daniel Bancal, one of the researchers behind the new result, who carried out the research at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. He is now at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore.

Excitingly, there is a real prospect of performing this test.

More - Link >>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121028142217.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Space+%26+Time+News%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

Sources: National University of Singapore, ScienceDaily.com .


gaw

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Preparing an Ideal Astronaut

October 29, 2012, 6:25 am

By ALEXANDER KUMAR

 

Alexander Kumar proudly displays his flag in the Antarctica wilderness.

 

Alexander Kumar, a physician and researcher at Concordia Station, writes from Antarctica, where he conducts scientific experiments for the European Space Agency’s human spaceflight program.
Antarctica can be an overpowering and overwhelming continent, and spending winter in the Antarctic has been used as a comparable setting for long-term manned spaceflight and as a model for planetary exploration.

Alexander Kumar Isolation, sensory deprivation, close quarters and limited contact with the rest of the world all contribute to safety issues in Antartica.

 

So the question we face is: How can we produce the “perfect astronaut” — someone who, through honed selection and detailed and directed training, can operate under any degree of isolation, stress and sensory deprivation, both effectively at individual tasks and as a sociable, skilled and appropriate crew member, for a manned mission to Mars?

To answer this question we first have to think about how a person interacts with and is challenged by extreme environments. Broadly speaking, the major stresses and challenges affecting human life, which in turn affect performance within extreme environments ranging from space to the Antarctic winter, can be divided into these five categories:

1. Physiological (physical) — from radiation to altered circadian rhythm; in space, this includes adaptation to microgravity and Space Adaptation Sickness (S.A.S.), whereas in high-altitude areas of Antarctica, it includes exposure to low oxygen levels and chronic hypobaric pressure.

2. Psychological — living within a hostile or alien extreme environment “away from the norm,” isolation, confinement, high risk or potential for loss of life and limited sensory stimuli.

3. Psychosocial — forced, close-quarters interpersonal contact, crew factors (culture, sex, size, personalities, etc.) and conflict and resolution.

4. Human factors — limited communications, fluctuating workload levels, risk, dealing with equipment failure, use of equipment within extreme environments, and increased reliance on technology for survival.

5. Habitability — hygiene limitations, a relative lack of privacy, artificial lighting, noise exposure and unusual sleep facilities.

More - Link >>> http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/how-to-make-the-perfect-astronaut/

Source: The New York Times.

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Hear Edison's Earliest Known Recording - 1878

Hear Thomas Edison's earliest known recording from 1878 for the first time (audio)

By Lisa Brenner | October 25th, 2012, 5:46pm

Image via http://websnap08.lbl.gov/

Optical Imaging Study of the 1878 St. Louis Edison Tinfoil Recording

One of the oldest audio recordings of a musical performance — and possibly the oldest ever of an American voice — has been restored and is being heard for the first time publicly since it was recorded 134 years ago.

The audio, recorded on tin foil by Thomas Edison using one of his early phonographs, was made during a 1878 museum demonstration in St. Louis. The audio includes a man and a woman reciting nursery rhymes, bursts of laughter, and a cornet solo (listen to the talking tin foil audio clips below).

More - Link >>> http://www.scpr.org/blogs/news/2012/10/25/10712/hear-thomas-edison-sing-rare-1878-audio-restored-f/

Source: Southern California Public Radio: KPCC-FM 89.3 Pasadena.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
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New NASA Online Science Resource for Educators & Students

New NASA Online Science Resource Available for Educators and Students  
by Staff Writers Washington DC (SPX) Oct 29, 2012

NASA has a new online science resource for teachers and students to help bring Earth, the solar system, and the universe into their schools and homes.

Called NASA Wavelength, the site features hundreds of resources organized by topic and audience level from elementary to college, and out-of-school programs that span the extent of NASA science. Educators at all levels can locate educational resources through information on educational standards, subjects and keywords and other relevant details, such as learning time required to carry out a lesson or an activity, cost of materials and more.

"NASA Wavelength not only lets users find nearly everything they want to know about NASA science, but it also allows them to provide direct feedback to NASA to enhance our products," said Stephanie Stockman, education lead for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in Washington.

"This truly is a living, digital library of resources that will allow educators to find and share the best of NASA science education resources to advance their teaching."

More - Link >>> http://www.space-travel.com/reports/New_NASA_Online_Science_Resource_Available_for_Educators_and_Students_999.html

Source: Space-Travel.com .

NASA Wavelength Web Site Link >>> http://nasawavelength.org/

Related Blog Post --

PC Mag: NASA App HD (for iPad) Recommended (2012 Oct. 26)

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/pc-mag-nasa-app-hd-for-ipad-recommended.html

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
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Laser Spotlight Reveals Machine 'Climbing' DNA

Imaging the molecular machine MukBEF using flourescent tags attached to its component parts. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Oxford)

 

ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2012) — New imaging technology has revealed how the molecular machines that remodel genetic material inside cells 'grab onto' DNA like a rock climber looking for a handhold.

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The experiments, reported in this week's Science, use laser light to generate very bright patches close to single cells. When coupled with fluorescent tags this 'spotlight' makes it possible to image the inner workings of cells fast enough to see how the molecular machines inside change size, shape, and composition in the presence of DNA.
 

More - Link >>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121026110747.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

Sources: University of Oxford, ScienceDaily.com .

gaw

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Deep-Space Habitat Prototype Being Built by NASA

NASA Building Deep-Space Habitat From Spare ISS Parts

• By Wired UKEmail Author
• October 27, 2012 | 
• 3:17 pm | 

By Duncan Geere, Wired UK

Deep-space engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Texas are putting together a prototype of a deep space station from scrap parts of the ISS.

The Deep Space Habitat project is an attempt to work out optimum size of capsule, equipment and resources to send outside of the Earth-Moon system and into deep space. That could be to Mars, to an asteroid, or even to one of the solar system’s many Lagrangian points.

More - Link >>> http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/nasa-building-deep-space-habitat-from-spare-iss-parts/

Source: Wired Magazine, United Kingdom.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
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Huge Saturn Storm Keeps Surprising Scientists

by SPACE.com Staff

Date: 26 October 2012 Time: 07:00 AM ET

 

inShare1

An image of Saturn taken in December 2010 by the Cassini spacecraft shows a storm with a latitudinal and longitudinal extent of 10,000 km and 17,000 km, respectively. The latitudinal extent of the storm’s head is approximately the distance from London to Cape Town. A "tail" emerging from its southern edge extends further eastward. CREDIT: Carolyn Porco and CICLOPS; NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI View full size image

A massive storm that encircled Saturn nearly two years ago was even more powerful than scientists had thought, new research reveals.

Observations by NASA's Cassini spacecraft — which first detected the tempest in December 2010 — show that the enormous Saturn storm sent temperatures in the planet's stratosphere soaring 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) above normal, according to a new study.

"This temperature spike is so extreme it's almost unbelievable, especially in this part of Saturn's atmosphere, which typically is very stable," study lead author Brigette Hesman, of the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., said in a statement.

More - Link >>> http://www.space.com/18225-saturn-storm-great-white-spot-cassini.html

Source: Space.com .

gaw

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Meteor Experts: Back & Forth on Fireball Fragments

After some doubts, rock judged to be part of meteorite — and another piece turns up

NBC News and news services

updated 10/25/2012 8:38:50 PM ET

After a flurry of doubts, an expert on meteorites has decided that a rock found in the backyard of a San Francisco Bay Area home could have come from space after all.

   

The origin of the rock has been debated because it could be a leftover from a meteor that lit up the night sky over Northern California more than a week ago.

More - Link >>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49539836/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.UIrrdqBEOSo

Source: NBC News.

Related Blog Posts --

Calif. Rock Not Meteorite; Still Searching for Meteorite (2012 Oct. 24)

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/calif-rock-not-meteorite-still.html

 

Meteorite From Calif. Fireball Found (2012 Oct. 22)

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/meteorite-from-calif-fireball-found.html

 

Orionid Fireball Seen in San Francisco Area (2012 Oct. 18)

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/orionid-fireball-seen-in-san-francisco.html

 

Photos & Information: Buhl Planetarium Meteorite

Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/Buhlexhibits.htm#meteorite

 

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < http://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

PC Mag: NASA App HD (for iPad) Recommended

There are many good NASA-sponsored or NASA-related apps for the iPad, NASA Television, NASA Visualization Explorer 1.5 and 3D Sun to name a few, but none compares in breadth of content with NASA App HD. This app, compiled by NASA's Ames Research Center, combines insightful articles and news stories, dazzling images and videos, live TV feeds, and more as a one-stop portal for most everything NASA.

More - Link >>> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411415,00.asp

Source: PC Magazine.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < http://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Spaceplane, Space Station Sought by Japan & China

Japan Wants Space Plane or Capsule by 2022

Rob Coppinger, SPACE.com Contributor

Date: 24 October 2012 Time: 04:15 PM ET

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A diagram of a crew capsule being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). CREDIT: Kuniaki Shiraki/JAXA View full size image

Japan hopes to be launching astronauts aboard a manned capsule or space plane by 2022, and the nation is also eyeing point-to-point suborbital transportation over the longer haul.
The capsule or mini-shuttle — which may resemble Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser space plane — would each accommodate a crew of three and carry up to 880 pounds (400 kilograms) of cargo, officials with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said this month.
The mini-shuttle would weigh 26,400 pounds (11,975 kg) and land at one of five suitable runways worldwide. Because a launch abort from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center would mean a Pacific Ocean landing, the space plane would also have to be able to cope with the sea.

More - Link >>> http://www.livescience.com/24264-japan-plans-manned-capsule-space-plane.html

China Eyes New Rockets for Space Station, Moon Missions

by Leonard David, SPACE.com’s Space Insider Columnist

Date: 25 October 2012 Time: 07:00 AM ET

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China is building a new rocket family that includes the Long March 5. CREDIT: Charles Vick View full size image

China is making progress in creating a new line of launchers for advancing its space station plans, as well as bolstering its capability to land robots — and possibly humans — on the moon.
Earlier this year, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation announced it had successfully conducted a 200-second test firing with the Long March 5 rocket's 120-ton-thrust liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene engine. The engine is far more powerful than the 75-ton-thrust engines of the rockets used to launch China's piloted Shenzhou spacecraft.
The China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) Office has noted that the high-performance engine is the first kind of high-pressure staged combustion cycle engine for which China has proprietary intellectual property rights. It is non-toxic, pollution-free and highly reliable, the CMSE stated, adding that the engine makes China the second country in the world, after Russia, to grasp the core technologies for a LOX/kerosene high-pressure staged combustion cycle rocket engine.

More - Link >>> http://www.space.com/18209-china-new-rockets-long-march-5.html

Sources: Space.com , LiveScience.com .

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < http://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Meteorite Statue: "Pseudo-Tibetan" ?

Buddha Statue: Possibly Fake, Still From Space

Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer

Date: 25 October 2012 Time: 11:21 AM ET

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A Buddha statue dating back to the 8th to 10th centuries is carved from a rare iron meteorite. CREDIT: Elmar Buchner View full size image

Researchers who reported that a potentially ancient Buddha statue is carved from a meteorite said they are not surprised that an expert in Buddhist history believes the statue to be a fake.

"Honestly, that is what we expected," said Elmar Buchner, who along with his colleague reported on the statue in September in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science. "We heard so many opinions from so many experts in art history and experts for Buddhism on the origins and the age of the statue prior to and after the publication."





More - Link >>> http://www.livescience.com/24280-buddha-statue-fake-from-space.html

Source: LiveScience.com .

Related Blog Post --

Buddhist Statue Acquired by Nazis is Space Rock (2012 Sept. 27)

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/09/buddhist-statue-acquired-by-nazis-is.html

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < http://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >