Video: Life Sciences in action
Big Red, IU's Supercomputer
Mike Pipher: They call the new supercomputer "Big Red"…and for good reason. When IU officials threw the *on* switch a couple of months ago…Big Red instantly became the 23rd most powerful computer in the world and the fastest unversity supercomputer in America. This machine is capable of processing more than 20 trillion mathematical operations every second. It also stores a lot of data…enough bits and bytes to fill a stack of CD’s that would reach nearly a mile and a half into the sky.
But behind all of these mind-boggling numbers are real people…real research projects…and the hope that this new supercomputer will make a real difference in the lives and pocketbooks of Hoosiers.
Most of the nine-million dollars used to purchase Big Red came from the Lilly Endowment as part of an initiative to jumpstart research in the life sciences in Indiana.
Indiana University is the state’s leader in life sciences because of resources already in place…resources like supercomputers…laboratories…scientists…and hospitals. IU is already engaged in cutting-edge research in scientific fields that didn’t even exist ten years ago. The new Big Red supercomputer will help researchers who work on projects that handle vast amounts of data…
Supercomputers allow us to better understand our world by processing huge amounts of information in a short period of time. Researchers will use Big Red to discover many new things such as the differences between healthy cells and cancerous cells. It will help improve our ability to forecast severe weather and provide earlier storm warnings.
In the world of computers…if you stand still you will quickly fall behind. When it went online in September…Big Red was the nation's fastest supercomputer. But just last month an even bigger computer went online at another university here in the U.S.
