ScienceDaily: Distributed Computing News

New software spots, isolates cyber-attacks to protect networked control systems

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:29 EDT

Researchers have developed a software algorithm that detects and isolates cyber-attacks on networked control systems -- which are used to coordinate transportation, power and other infrastructure across the United States.

Photonic quantum computers: A brighter future than ever

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:38:38 EDT

Harnessing the unique features of the quantum world promises a dramatic speed-up in information processing as compared to the fastest classical machines. Scientists have succeeded in prototyping a new and highly resource efficient model of a quantum computer -- the boson sampling computer.

Speed test of quantum versus conventional computing: Quantum computer wins

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

A quantum computer system is “thousands of times faster” than conventional computing in solving an important problem type, a computer science professor finds.

New simulation speed record on Sequoia Supercomputer

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:40:40 EDT

Computer scientists have set a high performance computing speed record that opens the way to the scientific exploration of complex planetary-scale systems. Scientists have announced a record-breaking simulation speed of 504 billion events per second on LLNL’s Sequoia Blue Gene/Q supercomputer, dwarfing the previous record set in 2009 of 12.2 billion events per second.

Superhero supercomputer helps battle autism

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:23:23 EDT

When it officially came online at the San Diego Supercomputer Center in early January 2012, Gordon was instantly impressive. In one demonstration, it sustained more than 35 million input/output operations per second -- then, a world record.

Supercomputer helps Planck mission expose ancient light

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:02:02 EDT

Like archeologists carefully digging for fossils, scientists with the Planck mission are sifting through cosmic clutter to find the most ancient light in the universe. The Planck space telescope has created the most precise sky map ever made of the oldest light known, harking back to the dawn of time. This light, called the cosmic microwave background, has traveled 13.8 billion years to reach us. It is so faint that Planck observes every point on the sky an average of 1,000 times to pick up its glow. The task is even more complex than excavating fossils because just about everything in our universe lies between us and the ancient light. Complicating matters further is "noise" from the Planck detectors that must be taken into account. That's where a supercomputer helps out. Supercomputers are the fastest computers in the world, performing massive amounts of calculations in a short amount of time.

Record simulations conducted on Lawrence Livermore supercomputer

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:45:45 EDT

Researchers have performed record simulations using all 1,572,864 cores of Sequoia, the largest supercomputer in the world. Sequoia, based on IBM BlueGene/Q architecture, is the first machine to exceed one million computational cores. It also is No. 2 on the list of the world's fastest supercomputers, operating at 16.3 petaflops (16.3 quadrillion floating point operations per second).

Signal processing: Look-up tables to shoulder the processing load

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:16:16 EDT

Computing tasks for signal processing could be performed more quickly with less power by using look-up tables.

Engineers develop techniques to boost efficiency of cloud computing infrastructure

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:57:57 EST

Computer scientists have developed a novel approach that allows the massive infrastructure powering cloud computing to run as much as 15 to 20 percent more efficiently. This novel model has already been applied at Google.

'Acoustic-assisted' magnetic information storage invented

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:18:18 EST

Electrical engineers have discovered a way to use high-frequency sound waves to enhance the magnetic storage of data, offering a new approach to improve the data storage capabilities of a multitude of electronic devices around the world.

Researchers break million-core supercomputer barrier

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:46:46 EST

A new record in computational science has been set by using a supercomputer with more than one million computing cores to solve a complex fluid dynamics problem -- the prediction of noise generated by a supersonic jet engine.

Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:15:15 EST

Autonomous, driverless vehicles look set to hit the streets in the near future and become increasingly common, so UK researchers have investigated algorithms that could help developers include escape maneuvers to allow such vehicles to quickly and safely switch lanes to avoid collisions with other road users.

Keeping to your New Year resolutions with PiFace

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:41:41 EST

After a festive period of excess, a January diet is one of the most common New Year resolutions for many people. Sticking to it, however, is harder, with temptation around every corner and inside every cupboard. Now scientists have come up with a unique deterrent -- a talking, tweeting chicken guarding your cupboards to shame hungry dieters into abstaining. The chicken, which not only barks out orders to sneaky snackers, but even tweets that person's Twitter account to publicly shame them if they stray, uses a Raspberry Pi -- a tiny, single-board computer.

Cardiovascular disease: The mechanics of prosthetic heart valves

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:31:31 EST

Computer simulations of blood flow through mechanical heart valves could pave the way for more individualized prosthetics.

Do we live in a computer simulation run by our descendants? Researchers say idea can be tested

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:27:27 EST

A decade ago, a British philosopher put forth the possibility that our universe might be a computer simulation run by our descendants. Now, physicists have come up with a potential test to see if the idea holds water.

Crucial step in AIDS virus maturation simulated for first time

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:13:13 EST

Bioinformaticians in Spain have used molecular simulation techniques to explain a specific step in the maturation of the HIV virions, i.e., how newly formed inert virus particles become infectious, which is essential in understanding how the virus replicates. These results could be crucial to the design of future antiretrovirals.

Researchers identify ways to exploit 'cloud browsers' for large-scale, anonymous computing

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:39:39 EST

Researchers have found a way to exploit cloud-based Web browsers, using them to perform large-scale computing tasks anonymously. The finding has potential ramifications for the security of 'cloud browser' services.

Putting more cores to work in server farms

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:12:12 EST

Scientists have found that reorganizing the inner architecture of the processors used in massive data processing centers can yield significant energy savings. Their work is part of the EcoCloud program.

Beating the dark side of quantum computing

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:56:56 EST

A future quantum computer will be able to carry out calculations billions of times faster than even today's most powerful machines by exploit the fact that the tiniest particles, molecules, atoms and subatomic particles can exist in more than one state simultaneously. Scientists and engineers are looking forward to working with such high-power machines but so too are cyber-criminals who will be able to exploit this power in cracking passwords and decrypting secret messages much faster than they can now.

Titan -- world's most powerful supercomputer -- is also a green powerhouse

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:17:17 EST

Not only is Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Titan the world's most powerful supercomputer, it is also one of the most energy-efficient. Titan came in at number three on the Green500 list.

Bug repellent for supercomputers proves effective

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:47:47 EST

Researchers have used the Stack Trace Analysis Tool, a highly scalable, lightweight tool to debug a program running more than one million MPI processes on the IBM Blue Gene/Q-based Sequoia supercomputer.

Governing economic growth in the cloud

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:37:37 EST

Gross domestic product can be boosted by cloud computing, the system in which remote computers on the Internet are used to store, manage and process data rather than the users' local machines. A new report suggests that governments should collaborate to boost the adoption of cloud computing internationally.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's supercomputer named world’s most powerful

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:13:13 EST

The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is again home to the most powerful computer in the world, according to the Top500 list, a semiannual ranking of computing systems around the world.

Titan supercomputer debuts: Computer churns through more than 20,000 trillion calculations each second

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:35:35 EDT

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory has just launched a new era of scientific supercomputing with Titan, a system capable of churning through more than 20,000 trillion calculations each second -- or 20 petaflops -- by employing a family of processors called graphic processing units first created for computer gaming. Titan will be 10 times more powerful than ORNL's last world-leading system, Jaguar, while overcoming power and space limitations inherent in the previous generation of high-performance computers.

Quantum computing with recycled particles

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:25:25 EDT

Scientists have brought the reality of a quantum computer one step closer by experimentally demonstrating a technique for significantly reducing the physical resources required for quantum factoring.

NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center opens

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:20:20 EDT

The NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center, which houses one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers dedicated to the geosciences, officially opens today. Scientists at NCAR and universities across the country are launching a series of initial scientific projects on the center’s flagship, a 1.5-petaflop IBM supercomputer known as Yellowstone.

An operating system in the cloud: TransOS could displace conventional desktop operating systems

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:19:19 EDT

A new cloud-based operating system for all kinds of computer is being developed.

Researchers developing 'BIGDATA' toolbox to help genome researchers

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:10:10 EDT

The latest DNA sequencing technology is burying researchers in trillions of bytes of data. Researchers are now developing high performance computing tools that will help researchers analyze all that data.

Android-based network built to study cyber disruptions and help secure hand-held devices

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:17:17 EDT

As part of ongoing research to help prevent and mitigate disruptions to computer networks on the Internet, researchers have turned their attention to smartphones and other hand-held computing devices.

Computers match humans in understanding art

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:45:45 EDT

Understanding and evaluating art has widely been considered as a task meant for humans, until now. Computer scientists tackled the question "can machines understand art?" The results were very surprising. In fact, an algorithm has been developed that demonstrates computers are able to "understand" art in a fashion very similar to how art historians perform their analysis, mimicking the perception of expert art critiques.

Computers get a better way to detect threats

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:50:50 EDT

Computer scientists have developed a technique to automatically allow one computer in a virtual network to monitor another for intrusions, viruses or other kinds of threats.

Single-atom writer a landmark for quantum computing

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:53:53 EDT

Engineers have created the first working quantum bit based on a single atom in silicon, opening the way to ultra-powerful quantum computers of the future. Scientists were able to both read and write information using the spin, or magnetic orientation, of an electron bound to a single phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon chip.

A network to guide the future of computing

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:46:46 EDT

Moore's Law, the observation by Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore that the number of transistors on a chip doubles approximately every two years, has been accurate for half a century. As a result, we now carry more processing power in the mobile phones in our pockets than could fit in a house-sized computer in the 1960s. But by around 2020 Moore's Law will start to reach its limits: the laws of physics will eventually pose a barrier to higher transistor density, but other factors such as heat, energy consumption and cost look set to slow the increase in performance even sooner.

Engineers built a supercomputer from 64 Raspberry Pi computers and Lego

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:51:51 EDT

Computational engineers have built a supercomputer from 64 Raspberry Pi computers and Lego. The son of one of the professors (aged 6) provided specialist support on Lego and system testing.

Stopping cloud computer problems before they start

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 11:25:25 EDT

Researchers have developed a new software tool to prevent performance disruptions in cloud computing systems by automatically identifying and responding to potential anomalies before they can develop into problems.

Computer, read my lips: Emotion detector developed using a genetic algorithm

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 11:19:19 EDT

A computer is being taught to interpret human emotions based on lip pattern, according to new research. The system could improve the way we interact with computers and perhaps allow disabled people to use computer-based communications devices, such as voice synthesizers, more effectively and more efficiently.

Printed photonic crystal mirrors shrink on-chip lasers down to size

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:52:52 EDT

Electrical engineers have devised a new laser for on-chip optical connections that could give computers a huge boost in speed and energy efficiency.

Toward achieving one million times increase in computing efficiency

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:30:30 EDT

Researchers have created an entirely new family of logic circuits based on magnetic semiconductor devices. The advance could lead to logic circuits up to one million times more power-efficient than today's.

Rewriting quantum chips with a beam of light: Laser technique brings ultrafast computing closer to reality

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:43:43 EDT

The promise of ultrafast quantum computing has moved a step closer to reality with a technique to create rewritable computer chips using a beam of light. Researchers used light to control the spin of an atom's nucleus in order to encode information.

Quantum computers could help search engines keep up with the Internet's growth

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:46:46 EDT

With the web constantly expanding, researchers have proposed – and demonstrated the feasibility – of using quantum computers to run Google's page ranking algorithm faster.

Quantum computers move closer to reality, thanks to highly enriched and highly purified silicon

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:41:41 EDT

Scientists have made the next step towards making quantum computing a reality -- through the unique properties of highly enriched and highly purified silicon.

Understanding complex relationships: How global properties of networks become apparent locally

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:26:26 EDT

Scientists have shown how global properties of networks become apparent in local characteristics. From infections spreading around the globe to the onset of an epileptic seizure in the brain: Many phenomena can be seen as the effects of network activity. Often it is vitally important to understand the properties of these networks. However, they are often too complex to be described completely. Scientists have now been able to show how global features of complex networks can be discovered in local statistical properties – which are much more accessible for scientific investigation.

Nuclear weapon simulations show performance in molecular detail

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:59:59 EDT

US researchers are perfecting simulations that show a nuclear weapon's performance in precise molecular detail, tools that are becoming critical for national defense because international treaties forbid the detonation of nuclear test weapons.

Flexible channel width improves user experience on wireless systems

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:14:14 EDT

Researchers have developed a technique to efficiently divide the bandwidth of the wireless spectrum in multi-hop wireless networks to improve operation and provide all users in the network with the best possible performance.

Quantum computers will be able to simulate particle collisions

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:06:06 EDT

Quantum computers are still years away, but a trio of theoretical physicists can already make the claim "there's an app for that." The theorists have developed a mathematical algorithm that will be used by a future quantum computer to study the inner workings of the universe in ways that are far beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional supercomputers.

Self-adapting computer network that defends itself against hackers?

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:33:33 EDT

Cybersecurity experts are researching the feasibility of building a computer network that could protect itself against online attackers by automatically changing its setup and configuration.

Website security: Spot a bot to stop a botnet

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT

Computer scientists have developed a two-pronged algorithm that can detect the presence of a botnet on a computer network and block its malicious activities before it causes too much harm.

Not all today's students are 'tech-savvy'

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:18:18 EDT

A small minority of today’s university students don’t use email and others are confused by the array of technologies available at universities. Yet many students couldn’t bear to be without their mobile phones and find themselves distracted by social networking sites during study.

Quantum computer built inside a diamond

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:19:19 EDT

A team of scientists has built a quantum computer in a diamond, the first of its kind to include protection against "decoherence" -- noise that prevents the computer from functioning properly.

Why are we made of matter? Supercomputing the difference between matter and antimatter

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:22:22 EDT

Using breakthrough techniques on some of the world's fastest supercomputers -- scientists have reported a landmark calculation of a kind of subatomic particle decay that's important to understanding matter/antimatter asymmetry. The research helps nail down the exact process of kaon decay, and is also inspiring the development of a new generation of supercomputers.

Supercomputers help explain why there is almost no anti-matter in our universe

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:16:16 EDT

Powerful supercomputers have shed light on the behavior of key sub-atomic particles, in a development that could help explain why there is almost no anti-matter in our universe. Physicists have reported a landmark calculation of the decay of an elementary particle called a kaon, using breakthrough techniques on some of the world's fastest supercomputers. This revealed the first experimental evidence of a phenomenon known as charge-parity (CP) violation - a lack of symmetry between particles and their corresponding antiparticles that may explain why the Universe is made of matter, and not antimatter.

Computer processors: Saving power, saving money

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:56:56 EST

Engineers have proposed a method of cutting power use and costs in computer processors. Called fine-grained power gating, the method would shut off energy to unused portions of datapath and memory blocks. Current processors fully power all components but rarely are all fully engaged.

Researchers develop better control for DNA-based computations

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:57:57 EST

A chemist has found a way to give DNA-based computing better control over logic operations. His work could lead to interfacing DNA-based computing with traditional silicon-based computing.

Scientists develop biological computer to encrypt and decipher images

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:28:28 EST

Scientists have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips.

Quantum physics enables perfectly secure cloud computing

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:33:33 EST

Researchers have succeeded in combining the power of quantum computing with the security of quantum cryptography and have shown that perfectly secure cloud computing can be achieved using the principles of quantum mechanics. They have performed an experimental demonstration of quantum computation in which the input, the data processing, and the output remain unknown to the quantum computer.

Gaming technology for calculating floods

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:14:14 EST

Norwegian researchers have borrowed a page from game developers to devise simulation technology that can save lives in many parts of the world by helping to reduce the damage from catastrophic floods.

More powerful supercomputers? New device could bring optical information processing

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:20:20 EST

Researchers have created a new type of optical device small enough to fit millions on a computer chip that could lead to faster, more powerful information processing and supercomputers.

HokieSpeed is a new powerful supercomputer for the masses

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:57:57 EST

Virginia Tech crashed the supercomputing arena in 2003 with System X, a machine that placed the university among the world's top computational research facilities. Now comes HokieSpeed, a new supercomputer that is up to 22 times faster and yet a quarter of the size of X. As researchers from around the world have used System X to crack riddles of the blood system and further DNA research, HokieSpeed will be a next-generation research tool for engineers, scientists, and others.

Multi-purpose photonic chip paves the way to programmable quantum processors

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:40:40 EST

A multi-purpose optical chip which generates, manipulates and measures entanglement and mixture -- two quantum phenomena which are essential driving forces for tomorrow's quantum computers -- has now been developed. This work represents an important step forward in the race to develop a quantum computer.

Supercomputers take a cue from microwave ovens: Co-design may be the answer to modeling clouds and other big problems

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:48:48 EST

As sophisticated as modern climate models are, one critical component continues to elude their precision -- clouds. Clouds modulate the climate. Experts agree that getting their effect on the climate system correct is critical to increasing confidence in projections of future climate change. To build the breakthrough supercomputers that these researchers need, computer scientists are taking a cue from the world of consumer electronics.