Advances in computing technology changing the world
Advances in computing technology
The holodeck in the popular science fiction television program, Star Trek, simulates environments with which the users can interact "as if they were really there." While the holodeck is a figment of the imagination, simulating "virtual environments" akin to it is real and being applied today using state-of-the-art computational technology.
"Computational technology has come a long way from the first recognizable electronic computer in the early 1950s," says Erik Pearson, Director of Strategic Planning at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "It is revolutionizing science and changing the way we live."
On May 16 at Columbia Basin College, Pearson presented the remarkable history of computational advances, discussed the current and future impacts these advances have on science and people's lives, and speculated on the development of even more powerful computing in the not-too-distant future. The presentation was part of the Community Science and Technology Seminar Series sponsored by PNNL and CBC.
Advanced computational simulation and modeling of natural or engineered systems are making it possible to do things that could barely have been imagined even 20 years ago, Pearson told the audience.
Erik Pearson
"We're reaping enormous benefits using this tool," he said, "For example, computational modeling and simulation are being used to design and engineer faster and cleaner cars and improve weather prediction and our understanding of the consequences of policy choices on global warming. In the new field of genomics, it's being used to increase our ability to understand and predict how cells in the human body work, which in turn will help us to design better drugs and treatment."
People can expect even more changes and benefits as better and as more powerful computational tools are developed. "We can foresee computers hundreds to perhaps even thousands of times more powerful than today's most advanced supercomputers using technologies that we understand now. Research laboratories are just beginning to explore the potential of completely new computing technologies such as molecular computing--using single molecules as computer components--and designing computers based on biological systems that may create the potential for even greater advances," he explained. "Computational modeling is and will be changing our world, scientifically and technologically. It's not a matter of 'if' but when."
PNNL and its researchers are leaders in computational modeling and simulation of molecular systems and computational chemistry, atmospheric and subsurface contaminants, and the regional impacts of climate change. PNNL operates a state-of-the-art molecular science computer facility housed in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. The Laboratory also plays a major role in the development of advanced computational technology.
Pearson is responsible for PNNL's business and strategic planning, including support for the identification and development of major research initiatives. He also is responsible for PNNL's major initiative in Computational Science. He graduated from Harvard University with a doctorate in chemical physics. He also holds a master's degree in physics from Harvard, and an undergraduate degree in mathematics and chemistry from Bowdoin College.
In addition to the sponsors, the Community Science and Technology Seminar Series is supported by the Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science and Technology and by the local chapter of Sigma Xi, the international honor society of scientific and engineering research.
