Berkeley Sumpercomputer Predicts Your Doom
Wed, May 7, 2008
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The University of California at Berkeley is rolling out a new breed of supercomputer, specially designed to predict the challenges presented by climate change, ultimately leading humanity to our doom and the computers to their rightful place as the masters of our earthly domain.
The idea driving the claim that supercomputers can be revolutionized is the radical notion that they can be run off of low-power embedded processors, not unlike those found in your cell phone, ipod, and common kitchen appliances. This is the most promising idea yet to support the next major development in supercomputing, cloud computers. It will be infinitely easier to run 20 million low-energy embedded processors linked in a highly efficient manner than linked like more conventional processors. Using the latter method would require the power for a city of 100,000 in order to create the 1KB computing power goal that the climate model scientists require.
Of course, highly accurate climate models may not be something that we want or are quite ready for as a species. If the models are as accurate as the scientists project, it may be that we’ll discover that the planet was irreparably screwed a long time ago. It’s more likely that we’ll hear climate change deniers assail the model or the computer. However, as they say, that’s progress.
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“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else.”
May 15th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Do we really want to know about our impending doom!!?
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Talking computers, this is about plans. Who actually has one? It had to be Google for the US of course. As Eric Schmidt says. “Quit grousing and come up with a plan if you don’t like mine. After all what’s the alternative? Death?” So here is his plan based on Google’s modelling http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=4MlC959hjRM
In short: A crisis is an opportunity (financial crisis).
Q: Why are we spending so much money on military security? A: Oil security
Premise: Total fundamental failure of political leadership based on:
1. Vested interests 2. Lack of understanding of value of; global alliances, best available technology and the great opportunity we are being presented with to restructure inefficiency.
Plan:
A - Efficiency first: This is the cheapest and easiest with the fastest payback e.g. Google investing $5 million for a two year return!
B - Investment in Solar thermal, wind and geothermal mainly with incentives(as there are so many subtle subsidies for fossil fuels)
C - Restructure the old decaying grid: Old grid has 9% efficiency loss. Mathematical modelling using renewables mix across US show a smart grid to be very stable, in fact more stable than current one. Investigate V2G(vehicle to grid) with plug in hybrids i.e. charge in off peak, download in peak as most cost is at peak power(and taxpayer makes money not driving).
D - Regulation: Price on carbon, new building efficiency standards, ZEVs and plug in hybrids(electric/ethanol)
Cost: 2.7 trillion Savings: 2.1 trillion (in efficiencies) 8% discount rate = $200 million in net present value
Solves:
1 Security
2 Price of energy
3 Jobs and investment (yes millions of home based jobs and export revenue)
4 And by the way, CLIMATE CHANGE