Who Uses Supercomputers?

Choman Saleem

Who Uses Supercomputers?

     Many events made headline news over this recently ended summer. The United States became home to the world’s fastest supercomputer. What exactly is a supercomputer and how significant is this achievement? To people who don’t exactly understand computers and the specifications of computers, this world record just sounds like a cool headline in a sci-fi movie. However, to anyone passionate about computers, this isn’t a light deal.
     Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory hosts Sequoia, the record-breaking supercomputer. The behemoth runs on 1.6 million processor cores. To put the numbers into perspective, compare this supercomputer with your Macbook Pro or custom-built gaming desktop at home. The standard Macbook Pro comes with a quad-core Intel i7 Ivy Bridge Processor. A custom desktop built today can have up to 12 cores. The power of these supercomputers puts our desktops at home to complete shame.
     Who can possibly need this much power? Mainly researchers, government agencies, military, and meteorologists. Supercomputers are not used to watch YouTube videos or play World of Warcraft. They work on imploding tiny capsules of hydrogen to mimic what happens inside the sun. Meteorologists predict Earth’s climate at any given location.
     If you’re not a multimillion dollar company or agency, you can definitely forget about owning a supercomputer. Energy costs alone can cost you $6 million. Supercomputers require a massive amount of power to run one. Design and assembly can cost $100 to $250 million. Supercomputers definitely have a name that is appropriate.

Link:

http://techland.time.com/2012/06/19/what-exactly-is-a-supercomputer/

The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Choman Saleem

The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

            The computer industry is evolving and expanding every day.  In the book of industrial advancement, the electronics industry writes a couple of chapters in just a decade. When you such an expansive business with prolific technology, you need organizations to set standards and rules. The IEEE is a world-wide non-profit organization composed of professional engineers and key pioneers in the field. Electronics play a massive role in all businesses today. When the Institute of Radio Engineers and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers merged half a century ago, the IEEE was founded. 
             The organization serves as a conduit for information and resources. The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers offers trains professionals and offers numerous prestigious certifications. Among those certifications are the Certified Software Development Associate (CSDA),  and the Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP). All students should be familiar with the IEEE and appreciate the path they lay for us as we enter the Information Technology, Programming, Engineering, or any electronics field.

Link:
http://www.ieee.org/about/index.html