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US Regains Supercomputing Crown, Besting China and Japan

Posted by samzenpus on from the catbird-seat dept.

dcblogs writes "The U.S., once again, is home to the world's most powerful supercomputer after being knocked off the list by China two years ago and Japan last year. The top computer, an IBM system at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is capable of 16.32 sustained petaflops, according to the Top 500 list, a global, twice a year ranking, released Monday. Despite the continuing strength of U.S. vendors globally, when China's supercomputer took the top position in June, 2010, it seemed to hit a national nerve. President Barack Obama mentioned China's top ranked supercomputer in two separate speeches, including his State of the Union address last year."

5 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong prize by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd rather have a big fraction of our workforce be highly competent in mathematics, than have a computer that's marginally faster than any other.

    One wins a pointless pissing match, the other provides a much more solid basis for real strength and prosperity.

    Besides, all this really shows is that China will lend us enough money for us to buy computer components built an assembled throughout the world.

    1. Re:Wrong prize by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd rather have a big fraction of our workforce be highly competent in mathematics

      You can build a more powerful supercomputer, but you can't educate your workforce beyond their intelligence. Especially, when they have no desire to be educated.

      You can overclock a processor. I haven't seen this successfully tested on humans yet. The results of own experiments with my Tesla Tower and the neighborhood kids were rather unpleasant.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  2. Re:Conspiracy Nut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Each time I read a story like this I can't help think there are a bunch of faster machines that they don't tell us about.

    Each time I read a story like this, I can't help but wonder who gives a fuck. For quite some time now, computers like this have been budget constrained more than anything, so it's a pointless dick measuring contest.

  3. Re:Conspiracy Nut by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Here is a story outside of IT. There was a Chinese Pianist, he was very good, he always won Piano competitions. He went to America to work with some of the masters. They offered him a choice, does he want to become a better Pianist, or just keep winning awards. Being told these options really humbled him, in his mind, winning meant that you were the best. However it was a case in these competitions there were only a subset of skills that are measured, so if you just focused on what was graded then you can win the competition. However if you want to master your art, it is about working on other things as well, things that are not always part of the grading.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. Re:... WITH 100% CHINESE-SOURCED COMPONENTS !! by MikeMo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actually, Intel manufactures CPUs in many countries, including the US. Wherever they are made, it is Intel's technology and know-how that makes it possible to make them there. No one in China could have created the fab without that. I'd say that 100% of the technology in those super computers was created outside of China. The ability to manufacture the latest Xeon is in no way related to the ability to design one.