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ASCI White Detonates The First E-Bomb

Posted by Hemos on from the ka-WHAM dept.

totallygeek writes "Redefining the term vaporware, research scientists at Lost Alamos and Lawrence Livermore Labs detonated two computer simulations. ASCI White, the world's fastest supercomputer, ran the simulations of nuclear explosions. Scientists can now study nuclear weapon replacement components without violating the nuclear test ban, in effect since 1992. Each simulation used more than 6.6 million CPU hours, which would take home machines 1000 years to complete. The data for each experiment was equivalent to 35 times the information available in the Library of Congress. ASCI White currently operates at 12 teraflops, but by early next year, Los Alamos expects to operate at 30 teraflops. The seven month research project ended last Friday, and now the system is ready for use, after its sucessful testing."

6 of 551 comments (clear)

  1. Someone... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    set up us the bomb!

  2. it may take 1000 years to simulate on a home comp. by prizzznecious · · Score: 5, Funny

    But who needs a simulation? If you have an Athlon, just jiggle the fan off and watch the thing in real life!

    --

    visit the hwky website for a lyrical genius infusion.
  3. Great Advances by stevenbee · · Score: 5, Funny

    I must say this ASCII stuff has come a long way since the days of the dial-up BBS.

    : )

    --
    Don't read this!
  4. It's a good start, but... by fobbman · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...I wonder if they could answer a question for me. Will it really only be cockroaches and Keith Richards that would live through a nuclear war?

  5. A Taste of Armageddon... by cqnn · · Score: 5, Funny


    The title of the Star Trek episode where warring
    planets conducted battles completely thru computer
    simulation. This advance takes us closer to that
    future possibilty.

    But, instead of modeling Nuclear detonations, I
    think the interests of warfare could also be served by setting up an ASCI White as a massive
    international UT server, and let national conflicts be settled by a nice game of capture
    the flag.

    Best two out of three?

  6. In other news... by realgone · · Score: 5, Funny

    Greenpeace immediately responded by running simulations of anti-nuke protests on an old 486 sitting on a card table outside Lawrence Livermore Labs.