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Coolest Cluster Ever
sw155kn1f3 writes "Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory built a cheap (less than $1k per unit) 294-unit Beowulf claster dedicated to run astrophysics calculations. According to their website it's 85th fastest computer in the world. Seems cool and promising as it made with cheap components and off the shelf hardware."
Imagine a single unit of these...
-)
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these...Beo...shit - I knew this joke would have to end at some point.
Cue The Sun...
Instead of astrophysics work they should use it to find all their radioactive trees.
"question = (to) ? be : !be;" --Shakespeare
"According to their website it's 85th fastest computer in the world. Seems cool and promising as it made with cheap components and off the shelf hardware."
I'm guessing the story submitters ran out of anti-MS ammo tonight. Heh.
It's satire, laugh.
2. ???
3. SLASHDOT!
Laugh, it's a joke.
As much as I am a fan of cheap 'beowulf' custers, there is a certain issue which troubles me. In this case, the cluster in question cost less than 300,000$, a healthy sum, but much less than a large cray or sgi server would cost. Such clusters can be used for an array of activities, such as nucular bomb tests (one of the driving forces in pushing supercomputer technology is nucular weapons), or cracking encryption.
Supercomputers are controlled by USA export laws, but powerful beowulf clusters can be made by anyone with a reasonable amount of money and knowlage. Since the software is free and of the shelf components can be used... wouldn't it be possible for terrorists to use open-source software to create their own supercomputers to test nucular weapons, crack American law and millitary encryption, ect... ?
I believe this 'beowulf' techonology, as great as it is, could be possible dangerous to American interests. It is my hope that this software will soon be controlled by the American millitary and not be spread for free because I fear for the safety of my family and country (bless them both) if terrorists have access to supercomputing technology.
Stanley Feinbaum, professional journalist and master debater! God bless the USA!
They could spend their $3k on something actually needed by 100 people thinking about spending $3k to share a spot on a fastest computers list.
Like a prosititute.
You go to your high school reunion, what's, more impressive, the "Hugh Hefner" 100 $3k prostitutes that come with you, or the "Bill Gates" story about the 300 1k computers in your mom's basement?
paintball
But it's a dry heat.
Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
The photo alone is worth surfing over to the article. As Socrates once said, "what a rack!"
:-)
But now that they've got the 85th fastest computer, what will they have to do to maintain that coveted position? I imagine the people who are running 86th are rushing out to buy more nodes. My own computer is the world's 27,385,422nd fastest, and I'm battling like crazy to get to 27,385,421.
Astrophysics? Pfft! How bout a LAN party? Does 10 billion fps on UT2003 sound good?
live(free) || die;
Yeah, it's stupid... as you can see from the article itself, everyone involved in that project has a @*.gov email.
Sheesh...
Welley Corporation - SLM Scammers
It must be running the website, too. It hasn't been /.ed yet.
Astrophysics.... 85th largest in the world... Call the department of homeland security, this could be terrorism!
We should actually be worried about the eithty-fourth fastest computer in the world... Saddam Hussein has built it out of a warehouse of imported PlayStation 2s.
Remember "Bring 'em on"? *sigh
I was thinking that too when I saw the picture. I mean, how are they securing those boxes? The way it looks, I certainly wouldn't want to be standing near that rack when an earthquake hits...
But then, imagine: Cause of death: crushed by Beowulf cluster. That's a geek's dream come true!
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