Welcome to this special publication dedicated to the use of high-performance computing in science. It is brought to you by the team behind Scientific Computing World (SCW) which, for those picking up this magazine at the International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden, is an established title that is at the forefront of software developed specially for use by scientists.
This publication, then, is an extension of that, and a recognition that high-performance computing and science go hand in hand.
In SCW, our rule is that if its a scientist or engineer that will choose whether to purchase the software in question, then it is software that is relevant editorially. By the same token, this publication looks at how high-performance computing can be tailored for use specifically by scientists and engineers.
Essentially, the term high-performance computing covers anything from the huge, hectare-covering multiple-server supercomputers right down to the desktop level something that has only become possible relatively recently.
In this magazine, then, we look at several aspects of high-performance computing: firstly, John Murphy talks to Hans Meuer, the founder of the International Supercomputing Conference and a name synonymous with the market for years.
David Robson looks at the emerging trend of using GPUs to relieve some of the processing load from CPUs. This combination of software and hardware is helping scientists and engineers slash the time it takes to complete calculations and process data.
Gemma Simpson brings us up to speed with the increased power now available at the desktop, removing the need to outsource projects to specialist highperformance computing centres.
As well as a guide to some of the highlights of the International Supercomputing Conference, we also talk to a couple of employees at a supercomputing centre about the varied roles they fulfil.
Warren Clark
John Murphy meets Hans Meuer, who has been involved with the International Supercomputing Conference in Germany since it began.
David Robson on the processing burden being shared by GPUs
Gemma Simpson looks at how software and hardware vendors are creating desktop HPC solutions specifically for scientists
Do you have a zest for problem solving and a passion for science? David Robson finds out why work as a high-performance computing consultant may be the ideal job for you
In January 2020 the American Diabetes Association released a new set of clinical standards that, for the first time, included the use of an FDA-approved autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) platform for detecting diabetic retinopathy in people with diabetes.
At the end of February physIQ and the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs published data from a clinical trial demonstrating the use of physIQ’s machine-learning algorithm to predict when an individual patient with previously diagnosed heart failure will likely require a readmission to hospital.
Cloud research tools provide a platform for new avenues of scientific research by providing fast access to bare-metal resources.
New processors and GPU technology continue to demand more power than the previous generations, combining this with increasingly dense architectures requires cooling solutions such as liquid or immersion cooling.
Tate Cantrell, CTO, Verne Global, comments on the cost of the AI computing revolution
European researchers are working on a new programming environment for exascale computing that aims to make using these systems more efficient and programmers more productive.
