Editing Supercomputer (section)

==Applications==
{{Prose|section|date=January 2020}}
{{expand section|date=January 2020}}
The stages of supercomputer application are summarized in the following table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Decade !! Uses and computer involved
|-
|1970s
|Weather forecasting, aerodynamic research ([[Cray-1]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Cray/Cray.Cray1.1977.102638650.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Cray/Cray.Cray1.1977.102638650.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|publisher=Cray Research, Inc|title=The Cray-1 Computer System|access-date=25 May 2011}}</ref>
|-
|1980s
|Probabilistic analysis,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Joshi|first=Rajani R.|date=9 June 1998|title=A new heuristic algorithm for probabilistic optimization|journal=Computers & Operations Research|volume=24|issue=7|pages=687–697|doi=10.1016/S0305-0548(96)00056-1}}</ref> radiation shielding modeling<ref>{{cite web|title=Abstract for SAMSY – Shielding Analysis Modular System|publisher=OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France|url=http://www.nea.fr/abs/html/iaea0837.html|access-date=25 May 2011}}</ref> ([[CDC Cyber]])
|-
|1990s
|Brute-force code breaking ([[EFF DES cracker]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cosic.esat.kuleuven.be/des/ |title=EFF DES Cracker Source Code |publisher=Cosic.esat.kuleuven.be |access-date=8 July 2011}}</ref>
|-
|2000s
|3D nuclear test simulations as a substitute for legal conduct [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] ([[ASCI Q]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acronym.org.uk/dd/dd49/49doe.html |title=Disarmament Diplomacy: – DOE Supercomputing & Test Simulation Programme |publisher=Acronym.org.uk |date=22 August 2000 |access-date=8 July 2011 |archive-date=16 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516033550/http://www.acronym.org.uk/dd/dd49/49doe.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|2010s
|Molecular dynamics simulation ([[Tianhe-1A]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.nvidia.com/2011/06/chinas-investment-in-gpu-supercomputing-begins-to-pay-off-big-time/ |title=China's Investment in GPU Supercomputing Begins to Pay Off Big Time! |publisher=Blogs.nvidia.com |access-date=8 July 2011 |archive-date=5 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705021457/http://blogs.nvidia.com/2011/06/chinas-investment-in-gpu-supercomputing-begins-to-pay-off-big-time/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|2020s
|Scientific research for outbreak prevention/electrochemical reaction research<ref>{{Cite web|title=The world's fastest supercomputer identified chemicals that could stop coronavirus from spreading, a crucial step toward a treatment|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/us/fastest-supercomputer-coronavirus-scn-trnd/index.html|first=Scottie |last=Andrew|website=CNN|date=19 March 2020 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref>
|}

The IBM [[Blue Gene]]/P computer has been used to simulate a number of artificial neurons equivalent to approximately one percent of a human cerebral cortex, containing 1.6&nbsp;billion neurons with approximately 9&nbsp;trillion connections. The same research group also succeeded in using a supercomputer to simulate a number of artificial neurons equivalent to the entirety of a rat's brain.<ref>Kaku, Michio. [[Physics of the Future]] (New York: Doubleday, 2011), 65.</ref>

Modern weather forecasting relies on supercomputers. The [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] uses supercomputers to crunch hundreds of millions of observations to help make weather forecasts more accurate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0829_050829_supercomputer.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050905005850/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0829_050829_supercomputer.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 September 2005 |title=Faster Supercomputers Aiding Weather Forecasts |publisher=News.nationalgeographic.com |date=28 October 2010 |access-date=8 July 2011}}</ref>

In 2011, the challenges and difficulties in pushing the envelope in supercomputing were underscored by [[IBM]]'s abandonment of the [[Blue Waters]] petascale project.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=8OGE.2B33479B.C267DC93&site=ehost-live |title=IBM Drops 'Blue Waters' Supercomputer Project |date=9 August 2011 |journal=[[International Business Times]] |access-date=14 December 2018}} {{subscription required|via=[https://www.ebsco.com EBSCO]}}</ref>

The [[Advanced Simulation and Computing Program]] currently uses supercomputers to maintain and simulate the United States nuclear stockpile.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/defenseprograms/futurescienceandtechnologyprograms/asc/supercomputers|title=Supercomputers|work=U.S. Department of Energy|access-date=7 March 2017|archive-date=7 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307210251/https://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/defenseprograms/futurescienceandtechnologyprograms/asc/supercomputers|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In early 2020, [[COVID-19]] was front and center in the world. Supercomputers used different simulations to find compounds that could potentially stop the spread. These computers run for tens of hours using multiple paralleled running CPU's to model different processes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Supercomputer Simulations Help Advance Electrochemical Reaction Research|url=https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/supercomputer-simulations-help-advance-electrochemical-reaction-research|website=ucsdnews.ucsd.edu|access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=IBM's Summit—The Supercomputer Fighting Coronavirus|url=http://emag.medicalexpo.com/summit-the-supercomputer-fighting-coronavirus/|date=16 April 2020|website=MedicalExpo e-Magazine|language=en-GB|access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=OSTP Funding Supercomputer Research to Combat COVID-19 – MeriTalk|url=https://www.meritalk.com/articles/ostp-funding-supercomputer-research-to-combat-covid-19/|language=en-US|access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Taiwania 3.jpg|thumb|Taiwania 3 is a Taiwanese supercomputer which assisted the scientific community in fighting [[COVID-19]]. It was launched in 2020 and has a capacity of about two to three Peta[[FLOPS]].]]