May 31, 2013

Energy for computing

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The din of more than a thousand million million computer calculations per second – that’s a quadrillion, with 15 zeroes – sounds like a rushing river echoing inside this dark, immaculate, wide-open room. A few rows of black, refrigerator-sized cabinets hold 100 racks of hardware and more than 70,000 processors that together comprise one of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

The system, known as Yellowstone, is the beating heart of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Wyoming Supercomputing Center.

“You get used to the sound signature,” shouted Gary New, the center’s operations manager, referring to the facility’s various noises.

Standing in…

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