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U.S. supercomputing lead in jeopardy, panel reports
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EECS professor Susan Graham cochaired the supercomputing panel,
sponsored by the National Research Council of the National
Academies.
PEG SKORPINSKI PHOTO
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The U.S. will be unable to retain its lead in supercomputing
technology unless the federal government increases funding for
advanced research in high-performance computing and ensures the
viability of supercomputer vendors, said a report issued last
November by an 18-member panel of computer experts.
“For the past decade, insufficient government funding, little
long-term planning, and inadequate coordination have reduced opportunities
to make the most of this technology to improve national security
and promote scientific discovery,” said Berkeley EECS professor
Susan Graham, who cochaired the independent panel. EECS professor
James Demmel also served.
The world’s most powerful computers, supercomputers can
quickly perform complex calculations for applications such as
modeling climate change, simulating natural disasters, monitoring
nuclear stockpiles, and mapping genes. The U.S. currently has
53 percent of the world’s fastest supercomputers, but federal
funding has dropped in the last 10 years, and both China and Japan
are making inroads in supercomputer technology.
The report, “Getting up to speed: The future of supercomputing,”
recommends increasing federal spending from $42 million to $140
million annually; developing an integrated plan for securing leadership
in hardware, software, and related technologies; and research
collaboration between agencies here and overseas.
See the National Academies Press Web site at www.nap.edu
to order the full report.
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