Published By: Phys.org, 1/17/2017

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Summary

China is seeking to prototype an exascale computer (capable of a billion billion calculations per second) by the end of the year, thereby ensuring the country’s position as a world leader in supercomputing. The calculation speed and data transmission efficiency of this system would have far-reaching implications in enabling big data analysis and cloud computing.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of Article: 11.3

Extended Discussion Questions

• If China is successful in building a prototype by the end of the year, how might other countries react to that accomplishment?
• The article points out that China’s leadership in supercomputing isn’t matched by its university rankings. (Note: The article also dings China’s scientific output, but that’s debatable.)
  • Why do you think China is focusing on supercomputing?
  • How could supercomputers be leveraged to improve university research and education?
• For scientists, what could be some advantages of cloud computing on supercomputers? What could be the advantages of using computers at their own institutions?

Global Impact Learning Objectives:

• LO 7.2.1 Explain how computing has impacted innovations in other fields.

Global Impact Essential Knowledge:

• EK 7.2.1B Scientific computing has enabled innovation in science and business.

Banner Image: “Network Visualization – Violet – Offset Crop”, derivative work by ICSI. New license: CC BY-SA 4.0. Based on “Social Network Analysis Visualization” by Martin Grandjean. Original license: CC BY-SA 3.0