NOV 17

The Jaguar XT5 computer, housed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville, Tenn. and owned by the Department of Energy was just named the fastest computer in the world by the TOP500 list.  It has a performance speed of 1.759 petaflops or quadrillions of calculations per second and that power is being focused on solving the issues of climate change.

The Jaguar is an open science machine for performing peer-reviewed research.  It is being used to create models and simulations for predicting regional climate change, studying enzymes for developing better ethanol and writing algorithms for fast nuclear reactors that would produce less waste.  A billion hours of processor time have been scheduled for 2010 by users like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Argonne National Laboratory and the National Science Foundation.

If you're thinking that the fastest computer in the world should be used for other problems too, don't worry, the Jaguar along with the other supercomputers on the list are also being used for things like nuclear security, developing better medicines and examining the origins of the universe, among other things.

Oak Ridge hosts four of the supercomputers on the list, including Kraken which was number three in the world with a speed of 831 teraflops.  Where the human brain's processing performance ends, these supercomputers pick up, allowing tons of information to be sorted, processed and analyzed.  With all of the challenges facing us in tackling climate change, it's nice to have them on our side.

via AP

Comments (22)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

you forgot one
written by Jade, November 17, 2009

You forgot the part about searching for Sarah Connor.

• 
• +2
• 
• 

JA
written by T-1000 Jerkface, November 17, 2009

I NEED YOUR CLOTHES, YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR MOTORCYLE. AND YOUR JAGUAR XT5.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

cap locks is your friend
written by Jade, November 17, 2009

and he was a t-800 series jerk.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Jive turkey
written by Gilbert, November 17, 2009

I guess this does sound fast. But is it anywhere near the speeds of the new MacBook Pro ?

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Sweet!
written by BeeGee, November 18, 2009

This is so cool that we're seeing this level of evolution in our time. And to the posters that think this is for helping solve lame Hollywood films, you're morons. Systems like this are for SERIOUS tasks.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

...
written by Disco'sDead, November 18, 2009

Hey BeeGee... how about this- you're a moron. Do you have any idea what kind of processing power it takes to make movies like The Matrix trilogy?? I didn't think so. Why don't you just go back to your cubicle and be quiet.

• 
• -3
• 
• 

...to Disco'sDead
written by BeeGee, November 18, 2009

Real mature, Disco'sDead- calling people moron's on the internet. First of all, for your information, The Matrix trilogy is all about graphics and special effects. Sarah Conner is a reference to The Terminator and has to do with figuring out where she is in you're from the future - two completely different processing tasks. But neither of these have anything to do with the worlds fastest computer. Instead, this system is designed to solve real world problems.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by David, November 18, 2009

I wonder if this system could help the medical industry with things like the flu, cancer, and hepatitus?

• 
• +1
• 
• 

@BeeGee
written by Disco'sDea, November 18, 2009

Hey BeeGee- if, like you say, "this system is designed to solve real world problems", then maybe we could ask the engineers for some cpu time to figure out how stupid you are...

• 
• -4
• 
• 

...
written by Anonymous, November 18, 2009

I quickly search around for dead palm fronds and create a soft nest for you to land in when you arrive, but you are back on your feet and approach me at a run, holding out your hands full of splinters.

• 
• -4
• 
• 

...
written by EcoGeek, November 18, 2009

Note a single one of these comments to this article give me any hope for our future.

• 
• +3
• 
• 

Redundant?
written by Sean, November 18, 2009

What I'm thinking is, climate change isn't a problem to be solved, it's a cyclical fact of a billions of years old planet that has developed all of the technological advancements we could only ever hope to replicate, and done so cleanly, sustainably, using the same materials for those same billions of years. The "problem" is in our collective self-importance only.

• 
• +2
• 
• 

hi
written by speed dating London, November 18, 2009

Jaguar is a amazing machine and has a processor which i can't
even imagine. It solves quadrillions of calculations per second and that power is being focused on solving the issues of climate change. It is the most power full computer I have seen so far.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

...
written by sg, November 18, 2009

EcoGeek, keep writing. I read your articles and am amazed at what keeps developing in this world. I read the articles and not the comments.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

What?
written by Rotator, November 20, 2009

Why do the boots so always seem to fit the shoe which walks in the wetness first?

Boots follow the wetness, like a sow follows the hay, but beware of the jumping ant, this fellow he can jump onto your leg without the knowings of it until you feel the sharp pains of ant sting.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

http://www.uggbootssale.org
written by Ugg Boots Sale, November 20, 2009

Learn here, from Colin Firth, how great heavy-framed specs can look with neat tailoring and some classic white-shirt-with-black-tie styling. It's not out yet but the trailer of former

• 
• -2
• 
• 

Wow
written by Richard, November 20, 2009

Wow. Now this is certainly great news. At least now we know that the world really is concerned of directly focused on the issue of climate change.

Nice post!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Incredible
written by Green Ninja, November 20, 2009

Let's hope that it can spit out the answers to all these great problems as quickly as we want to input them.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by MBT shoes, November 21, 2009

Mbt shoes are promotion now,Mbt sport shoes and Mbt m walk hot onsale!

• 
• -1
• 
• 

Computer Speeds
written by Kyle, November 21, 2009

Impressive how the computer speeds are measured in petaflops. That picture of the Jaguar looks very cool.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Connie Lingus, November 22, 2009

I think they're really using this computer to play Call Of Duty..

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Hoping the climatic modelling is better reviewed...
written by Keith Marlow, November 28, 2009

Hmm, anybody been following the climategate discussions?? (basically 'tweaked' source datasets and a hacker gaining access to 10 years worth of emails and data from the CRU, seems to indicate suspect science). I really hope that if computers like these are going to be used to work out what is really going on that we do not get a repeat of what looks to have happened with the famous hockey stick graph.. There is more info on the linked website.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment