Kowalski Heat Treating News, Notes, and Valuable Information for Anyone Trying to Keep Their Metals & Alloys Hard, Flat, Straight or Sharp
Two Quintillion
/0 Comments/in Computers, Fast, Friday Afternoon /by Steve KowalskiDoing research has been getting faster and faster and faster. Now, with the push of a button, answers are coming back in a single second, to the people researching daunting topics like the universe, neuroscience, aerospace, cancer, drugs, clean fusion and more. That’s faster than I can type the letter ”K”. :))))))))
Depending how old you are, you likely remember when you used your first computer, first laptop or mobile device. Clunky in scale, it amazed each of us with the capacity to make “at the time” lightening fast computations. Type in a search, bang, the info was there. Crunch a spreadsheet, and the data appeared before your eyes. Call a friend and they answered within seconds. I can remember here at KHT when we first added connected computers to our campus, the team was thrilled. Each iteration and improvement made us even more efficient in solving your PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! … something we enjoy doing every day. I was reading the WSJ the other day and came across an article about a new “exascale” computer named Aurora. Inside a vast data center on the outskirts of Chicago, the most powerful supercomputer in the world is coming to life. The supercomputer’s high-performance capabilities, matched with the latest advances in artificial intelligence, will help scientists research challenges like cancer, nuclear fusion, vaccines, climate change, encryption, cosmology and other complex sciences and technologies. Special thanks to WSJ writer Scott Patterson for the article and Google for the history.
Aurora is housed at the Energy Department’s Argonne National Laboratory and is among a new breed of machines known as “exascale” supercomputers. In a single second, an exascale computer can perform one quintillion operations—a billion billion, or a one followed by 18 zeros… (it looks like this 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 – yeeeowsa!).
An exascale computer refers to a computing system capable of performing one exaflop, which is a quintillion (10^18) floating-point operations per second (FLOPS). In simpler terms, it signifies the ability to execute a billion billion calculations per second. This level of computational power is a significant milestone in high-performance computing (HPC) and represents a thousandfold increase in performance compared to the previous generation of supercomputers.
Aurora is the size of two tennis courts, weighs 600 tons. Behind Aurora’s computing muscle are more than 60,000 graphics processing units, or GPUs, technology developed for advanced videogaming systems that has become the powerhouse of supercomputers. (that compares with the nearly 40,000 GPUs in Frontier – Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Frontier, which came online last year and was the first operational exascale computer, retained its title as the world’s No. 1 computer. Aurora will likely “exceed Frontier…when finished.”)
Aurora, built by Intel and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is slowly being turned on, rack by rack. Unlike regular computers, these high-powered machines take months to bring online as technicians look for flaws like mechanics testing a Formula One car before a race. Aurora is expected to become fully operational in 2024.
Just some of what it can do …
- increase the accuracy of climate forecasts (the more-accurate estimates will allow planners to better prepare for the potential impacts of floods, wildfires or storms on a facility or neighborhood).
- screen 22 billion drug molecules to accelerate drug discovery.
- mapping connections in the brain, a task so complicated it could take Aurora a full day to process a tiny sliver of the brain
- handle the biggest large language model—a predictive AI system similar to ChatGPT—ever deployed.
- deploy automated labs that will let the computer conduct real-world experiments using robots. It can analyze the results and modify the experiments, speeding up the research process.
- help with the design and production of batteries that hold more power and charge faster. Batteries run on chemical reactions. Rather than test new battery chemistries in labs, scientists can use Aurora to model billions of combinations at high speed, providing scientists new insights into potentially breakthrough technologies.
- leverage Argonne’s massive X-ray machine, the Advanced Photon Source, or APS, to examine materials at the atomic-scale level and feed the data into Aurora. The upgraded APS increases the brightness of the X-rays, that means experiments can be much faster … In fact, they can be so fast that humans can’t control them anymore.
There are more of these powerful machines coming soon. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California is building a $600 million exascale supercomputer called El Capitan, after the famed rock formation in Yosemite National Park. It is expected to be deployed next year and could eventually exceed Aurora’s computational firepower.
According to Elon Musk, Tesla is spending more than $1 billion to build an exascale supercomputer called Dojo. China might have exascale machines, but it doesn’t provide them to outsiders for testing. Computer scientists in the U.K. and elsewhere are trying to produce their own exascale computers.
History of supercomputers, searched using Chat openai (how cool is that!)
1950s-1960s: The concept of supercomputing emerged in the 1950s with the development of the first electronic computers. However, the term “supercomputer” was not widely used until the 1960s. Early supercomputers like the Control Data Corporation (CDC) 6600, introduced in 1964, were characterized by their exceptional processing speed and capability for scientific and engineering applications.
1970s: Seymour Cray, known as the “father of supercomputing,” played a crucial role in the development of supercomputers during this period. Cray founded Cray Research and introduced a series of supercomputers, including the Cray-1 in 1976, which was the first supercomputer to use vector processing.
1980s: Vector processing became a dominant feature in supercomputers during the 1980s. Cray continued to produce successful models like the Cray-2. Other companies, such as IBM with its IBM 3090 and 390, also contributed to the supercomputing landscape.
1990s: Parallel processing, where multiple processors work together on a task, gained prominence. This era saw the development of massively parallel supercomputers. Thinking Machines Corporation introduced the Connection Machine, and Cray Research produced the Cray T3D and T3E.
2000s: The rise of clusters and distributed computing marked this period. Clustered systems, composed of multiple interconnected computers, became a cost-effective way to achieve supercomputer performance, such as IBM’s Blue Gene series and Cray’s XT5.
2010s: GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) acceleration gained popularity for certain types of computations, and heterogeneous computing became more common. China’s Tianhe-1A and later the Sunway TaihuLight were among the world’s fastest supercomputers during this period.
2020s: The race for exascale computing intensified, with countries and organizations aiming to build supercomputers capable of performing one exaflop or more. Frontier and Aurora supercomputers in the United States are part of this exascale push.
The supercomputer’s high-performance capabilities will be matched with the latest advances in artificial intelligence, with hard to imagine outcomes. Together they will be used by scientists researching cancer and other diseases, nuclear fusion, safer vaccines, climate patterns to avoid disasters, financial and data encryption, cosmology and other complex sciences and aid technologies to provide better products and services which in the past would take longer to develop.
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DO YOU LIKE CONTESTS?
Me, too.
As you may know the Kowalski Heat Treating logo finds its way
into the visuals of my Friday posts.
I. Love. My. Logo.
One week there could be three logos.
The next week there could be 15 logos.
And sometimes the logo is very small or just a partial logo showing.
But there are always logos in some of the pictures.
So, I challenge you, my beloved readers, to count them and send me a
quick email with the total number of logos in the Friday post.
On the following Tuesday I’ll pick a winner from the correct answers
and send that lucky person some great KHT swag.
So, start counting and good luck!
Oh, and the logos at the very top header don’t count.
Got it? Good. :-))))
Have fun!!
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Dedication
/0 Comments/in Faith, Family, Friday Afternoon, Friends, Hanukkah, Love, Religion /by Steve KowalskiIt’s all about love, friends and family.
With all the “dashing” we’re doing these days, it’s good to pause and reflect on some of the more commonly observed holiday traditions. History has always fascinated me. My blog today lands on the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, a celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. The festival lasts for eight nights and days and holds significant historical and cultural importance in the Jewish tradition with its origins rooted in a tale of resilience and religious freedom. I thought it would be fun to explore the history behind Hanukkah and how the observance has lasted for so many years. Enjoy, and thanks to Google and Wikipedia for the info. Shalom.
The story of Hanukkah begins with the Seleucid King Antiochus IV, who ruled over the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire from 175 B.C.to 164 B.C. The Seleucid Empire was one of the successor states to Alexander the Great’s vast empire, encompassing parts of Asia and the Middle East.
Antiochus IV is particularly known for his controversial and oppressive policies toward the Jewish people, as highlighted in the story of Hanukkah. He ascended to the throne after the death of his brother, Seleucus IV Philopator. Antiochus IV sought to strengthen and expand the influence of Hellenistic culture throughout his kingdom, including the territories that included Judea, where a significant Jewish population resided.
In an attempt to Hellenize the region and consolidate his power, Antiochus IV took drastic measures against the Jewish faith. He outlawed Judaism, desecrated the holy Second Temple in Jerusalem, and imposed severe restrictions on Jewish religious practices. The king went so far as to place a statue of Zeus in the temple, an act considered sacrilegious by the Jewish people.
These oppressive measures sparked widespread discontent and resistance among the Jewish population. The Maccabean Revolt, led by a priest named Mattathias and his five sons, known as the Maccabees, fought against Antiochus IV.. The Maccabees initiated a guerilla warfare campaign against the powerful Seleucid army., The Maccabees managed to reclaim the temple after a series of strategic victories and the establishment of the festival of Hanukkah.
Upon entering the temple, the Maccabees discovered that there was only enough oil to light the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum, for one day. However, a miracle occurred, and the small amount of oil miraculously burned for eight days, allowing the Jewish people to rededicate the temple. This miraculous event is at the heart of the Hanukkah celebration and is symbolized by the lighting of the menorah over eight nights.
Hanukkah, which means “dedication” or “consecration” in Hebrew, became a symbol of Jewish resistance against religious persecution and the fight for religious freedom. The festival’s customs and traditions evolved over time, incorporating both religious and secular elements.
One of the central customs of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah. Each night, an additional candle is lit until all eight candles, plus the central or “shamash” candle, are lit by the eighth night. Families often gather around the menorah to recite blessings, sing traditional songs, and exchange gifts. The menorah’s lights are placed in windows to publicize the miracle and symbolize the triumph of light over darkness.
Traditional foods associated with Hanukkah include latkes, which are potato pancakes fried in oil, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts. The consumption of fried foods during Hanukkah serves as a reminder of the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.
The themes of religious freedom, cultural identity, and resistance against religious oppression is embedded in the Hanukkah story and continues to resonate with people across generations. As a result, the festival has retained its relevance and continues to be observed with enthusiasm and devotion still today. The triumph of light over darkness holds a special place in the hearts of Jewish communities worldwide, providing a time for reflection, gratitude, and the sharing of joy with family and friends.
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DO YOU LIKE CONTESTS?
Me, too.
As you may know the Kowalski Heat Treating logo finds its way
into the visuals of my Friday posts.
I. Love. My. Logo.
One week there could be three logos.
The next week there could be 15 logos.
And sometimes the logo is very small or just a partial logo showing.
But there are always logos in some of the pictures.
So, I challenge you, my beloved readers, to count them and send me a
quick email with the total number of logos in the Friday post.
On the following Tuesday I’ll pick a winner from the correct answers
and send that lucky person some great KHT swag.
So, start counting and good luck!
Oh, and the logos at the very top header don’t count.
Got it? Good. :-))))
Have fun!!
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