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2004-12-28 Home Front: Tech

Ultrafast Supercomputer to Simulate Nuke Explosion

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Posted by mojo 2004-12-28 12:04:22 AM|| || Front Page|| [11133 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Simulate all you want, But when North Korea, China, or Iran detonate above or below ground for THEIR yield results; the bets are off! We'll ee just how fast the classroom doors are opened!!

Posted by smn 2004-12-28 1:11:30 AM|| 2004-12-28 1:11:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Typo: "ee" = "see", sorry.

Posted by smn 2004-12-28 1:12:43 AM|| 2004-12-28 1:12:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Let's all hope these guys can divert a little account time for the characterization of singularities, like the one formed during big bang. Nuclear weapons simulations involve the exact same type of high-energy particle physics necessary in modeling what happens with condensed matter as you reverse time's arrow to obtain the electroweak force and other forms of increased symmetry during intensely confined events.

Until our politicians have the brains to support fundamental physics instruments like the Superconducting Super Collider, computational analysis will play a significant part in expanding our understanding of the universe and its formation.

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-28 1:13:08 AM|| 2004-12-28 1:13:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 I'd be just as happy if superconducting supercolliders were built on the far side of the moon. But in so many ways I must shamefully admit to being a bit of a coward... which is why I want the war on Islamofascism over sooner rather than later. On the other hand, the way the engineers have developed scientific discoveries in the area of computers, anything currently cutting edge will be available for home computer use within the decade -- to make the games ever more cool.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who welcomed my daughter last night. You made her year! And Frank, I do know you were teasing; we have our little disagreements, but you are one of the good guys. As Mr. Wife is fond of reminding me, I'll know he no longer loves me when he no longer teases. So there!

Posted by trailing wife 2004-12-28 1:28:03 AM|| 2004-12-28 1:28:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 I'd be just as happy if superconducting supercolliders were built on the far side of the moon.

I agree completely. Beam-line pumpdown times would be nearly instantaneous, detector noise reduced dramatically and nearly unlimited electrical energy readily available. Most of all, with a firmly established lunar colony, humanity would no longer have all its precious eggs in one very fragile blue-green basket.

... which is why I want the war on Islamofascism over sooner rather than later.

Me too. That way we can focus on truly important issues like building moon bases plus fighting illiteracy, AIDS, poverty, violence against women and hunger.

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-28 1:39:06 AM|| 2004-12-28 1:39:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 I think the energies required to simulate singularity physics are well beyond what we have at the moment Zenster, so simulation of those type of events would be necessary even if the SSC had been built.

What does concern me a little is this emphasis on simulation - there really is no substitute for an experiment, so I would very much like the US to back up the simulation results with a real detonation.

I totally agree about a Moon base, but would go further and say that a presence on Mars is also necessary. Although I would say that colonies in space is a far better idea (once you've hauled your ass out of a deep gravity well, why on earth drop yourself into another one) - the resources available from mining a single small asteroid would make the London metals exchange weep!. A great resource for this is The High Frontier by Gerard K O'Neill, who was a proponent of Solar Power Satellites as well.

As for solving poverty et al - the best (only?) way to do that is to have more capitalism around the world, as socialism certainly doesn't work, neither does giving countries aid. As for violence against women - well, I think we all know what would reduce that by 99% don't we...

TW, what thread did your daughter turn up on?

Posted by Tony (UK) 2004-12-28 5:54:12 AM|| 2004-12-28 5:54:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Simulations are based on known physics, whereas singularities are points where known physics does not apply. The current question is what happens at the Planck scale and is there even a singularity at all. The answer requires a new theoretical physics called quantum gravity for which there are several candidates, like string theory.

Posted by HV 2004-12-28 10:55:20 AM|| 2004-12-28 10:55:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Quite so HV, I should have been a lot more careful about specifying singularities in the simulation domain.

Posted by Tony (UK) 2004-12-28 4:12:38 PM|| 2004-12-28 4:12:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 I worry that the next generation of computers won't stop at simulating an nuclear explosion, they might enjoy the McCoy. That's an Americanism you know, originally from the hills of the North American Piedmont.

Posted by Im Safe ona Sri Lanka 2004-12-28 5:10:25 PM|| 2004-12-28 5:10:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 I agree fully that real-life testing will never be replaced by simulations. However, considering that the Boeing 777 was never physically modeled until it was built at full scale speaks rather well for our simulation capabilities.

I totally agree about a Moon base, but would go further and say that a presence on Mars is also necessary.

Tony, please read the "Red Mars," "Green Mars" and "Blue Mars" series by Kim Stanley Robinson. It is simply an outstanding work which has won a double Hugo Award. I'm almost through the third book, and his detailing of human brain function is stupendous.

HV, running time's arrow backward towards T=0 is still very important work even if it all derails at the point of singularity. The above books also discuss string theory, Plank length and the universe's fundamental graininess, including information which may have survived big bang. Altogether, a very satisfying read.

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-28 10:48:19 PM|| 2004-12-28 10:48:19 PM|| Front Page Top

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