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| SCIENCE TRIBUNE | Thursday, March 23, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
World’s faster computer by Radhakrishna Rao BLUE Gene, tipped to be the world’s faster supercomputer is being engineered by the IT giant IBM. This number crunching machine par excellence is designed to achieve what is called “petaflop scale” performance. Interestingly, it will take recourse to a totally new and novel approach to computer design and architecture. Projected to be ready for routine operations by 2005, it is designed to carry out quadrillion calculations a second. It will be 1000 times faster than IBM’s most powerful computer to date, “Deep Blue”. Essentially a petaflop can be defined as a theoretical measure of a computer speed and can be expressed as a 1000 trillion part operations a second. The smartest supercomputer now in use is capable of only teraflop speeds, which is trillion operations a second. Tapping geothermal energy Breath
of fresh hair Science
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World’s faster computer BLUE Gene, tipped to be the world’s faster supercomputer is being engineered by the IT giant IBM. This number crunching machine par excellence is designed to achieve what is called “petaflop scale” performance. Interestingly, it will take recourse to a totally new and novel approach to computer design and architecture. Projected to be ready for routine operations by 2005, it is designed to carry out quadrillion calculations a second. It will be 1000 times faster than IBM’s most powerful computer to date, “Deep Blue”. Essentially a petaflop can be defined as a theoretical measure of a computer speed and can be expressed as a 1000 trillion part operations a second. The smartest supercomputer now in use is capable of only teraflop speeds, which is trillion operations a second. The development of Blue Gene is being managed by Indian born Ambuja Goyal, Head of Computer Sciences Division at IBM Research Center in New York. According to Goyal a totally new approach being adopted for building Blue Gene. It would endow it with a petaflop scale performance. He said that the significance of SMASH architecture being adopted for Blue Gene lies in the simplicity of its operations. Moreover, it will make the computer self healing, which implies that it will automatically detect and isolate the faults if any of the processors constituting the computer “we are leapfrogging in computer design and architecture. Our goal is to get a very high density of computing”, says Goyal. Basically, Blue Gene is being engineered to help scientists crack problems such as how and why proteins fold in human body. Insight into this problem could lead researchers to understand diseases in a more precise manner and develop a sure shot cure. Blue Gene is built using a million processors. A single chip will hold 32 one gigaflop processors. “Unlike today’s computer, which separates the memory from the processor we are putting memory and processor together to give us more mathematical calculations out of a chip”, observes Goyal. The computer could also find use in structural dynamics and weather modelling. About 50 researchers from IBM’s Deep Computing Institute and Computational Group are busy working on the Blue Gene project. It may be recalled that
in October last, the US Government had unveiled
world’s fastest supercomputer nicknamed “Blue
Pacific”. Capable of carrying out 3.9 trillion
calculations per second more than twice as fast as any
other computer — the machine had been developed
jointly by the Energy Department’s Livermore
National Lab and IBM at an estimated cost of $
96-million. The US Vice president Al Gore had observed
that it would take a person using a hand calculator about
63000 years to perform the same number of calculations
performed by “Blue Pacific” in one second. The
most significant application of Blue Pacific is in
assessing the safety, security and reliability of nuclear
stockpiles without nuclear testing. |
Tapping geothermal energy INDIA’s new emphasis on multi-dimensional development of non-conventional energy in an open economy, for the growing energy need of 1000 million people, may accelerate rapid utilisation of available geothermal fields. In a global tectonic context, India is not particularly well placed as far as geothermal energy is concerned. However, due to anomalous nature of some segments of its lithosphere, it does contain a number of geothermal areas with temperature in the range of 30 degrees celsius to 100 degrees celsius. Most of them are intermediate temperature type and occur along certain tectonic boundaries. The most promising geothermal areas include-(I) Puga-Chhumathang, Manikaran and Tapoban in New Himalayas, (2) Konkan, Cambay and Bombay Offshore, (3) Taptapani (Orissa), (4) Gondwanic grabens, and (5) Volcanic areas of Andaman-Nocobar chain. Deep seated reservoir temperature are reported to be between 100 degrees celsius and 250 degrees celsius. Total geothermal power potential, as assessed by a number of geoscience organisations, is of the order of 2000 MW to 10,000 MW. However, proper infrastructure has to be built to commence power generation on a commercial basis. Presently, attempts are being made to install experimental power plants of 20 KW to one MW capacity at a few locations. Since the late 1960’s, a number of organisations, particularly the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad, explored promising geothermal regions with the sole aim of power production. The total stored heat potential in India is about 40x1018cal, which is equivalent to 27.6 billion barrels of petroleum. Other studies have estimated power potential from thermal areas to be the order of 2000 MW. These are only preliminary estimates and need to be verified through deep exploration and assessment programme. As a matter of fact, Indian performance to date has been very dismal as far as power production from geothermal sources is concerned. Although some serious attempts have been made, commercially, we are still not producing power. For example, a five KW geothermal binary cycle pilot power plant has been successfully test run to its optimum capacity in September 1992 at the Manikaran geothermal area. Further, a binary cycle power plant of 20 KW is planned for the Taptapani field and of one MW for the Puga valley in Ladakh. Recently, it has been decided to utilise thermal discharges of Tapoban for green house farming. An attempt is also being made to find gold in geothermal discharge of Badrinath, Tapoban and Gangani thermal springs, but the concentration was found to be less than 100 parts per trillion (ppt). The primary reason for the indifference to the geothermal power appears to be the abundant availability of traditional resources. Even presently only coal-based power plant (to some extent wind power too) are being encouraged to meet the increasing power demands, using private sector participation. The main handicap, however, could be the intermediate to low-grade potential of India’s geothermal resources. We really cannot compare our resources with those of geothermally successful countries like New Zealand, USA, Italy, Mexico and Japan. What we can do is to follow countries like China where a number of binary power plants have been installed to utilise low temperature discharges. In India, barring only a few, almost all the geothermal fields may have base temperatures exceeding 100-150 degrees celsius at two four km. depth. For example, in the Cambay graben, these temperatures have been recorded even in the depth ranges of 1.5 to three km. Sedimentary basins at these depths may have suitable thermal reservoirs. If so, these deep
boreholes can be successfully utilised for geothermal
power generation by hydrofracturing and using
commercially available single bore hole geothermal energy
extraction system technology. This technology can also be
used in shallow high temperature wells. (PTI). |
Breath of fresh hair A Shampoo that keeps hair smelling fresh for several days is expected to be on the market in about a year’s time. The product uses tiny proteins containing perfume that is slowly released in the user’s hair. The technology, which has been developed by Prof John Findlay of Leeds University, English Midlands, targets proteins to a site of choice; binds them to a desired surface or material and allows a controlled release of compounds bound by the proteins. The innovation is being marketed by the university’s commercial arm, Precision Proteins, that was created in 1998 to exploit engineering technology. Professor Findlay said that the new molecular targeting and delivery techniques would be particularly beneficial to the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. Having worked out how proteins can be artificially produced for the beauty industry he is in discussion with shampoo and skin conditioner manufacturers about how they can be applied in beauty products. The object is to choose the right fragrances and release time. The technique uses a natural system — in the body, proteins are used to deliver chemicals — but in a different way. For shampoos the system is based on naturally occurring proteins that can be fashioned to bind to the cuticle at the base of each hair. Fragrance molecules are placed inside the carrier proteins and released over a period. Professor Findlay and his team at the university’s School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are only able to produce natural perfumes such as lavender but are working on several different fragrances and colognes. The research team is also considering the production of room air freshners capable of releasing fragrances for up to a month without losing their initial smell. (LPS)
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Science Quiz 1. This US physicist could read Sanskrit very well and is credited for the development of the atomic bomb. After the first successful atomic test by the U.S.A. in 1945, he was so shocked by the power of the bomb that he quoted from Bhagwad Gita, “I am become death, the shatterer of worlds.” Can you name this nuclear scientist? 2. Name the space mission, comprising four satellites, to be launched by the 14-nation European Space Agency in mid-2000 to study the effect of sun on earth’s environment. 3. The bodies of women who strictly observe Pardah system do not get adequate sunlight leading to deficiency of vitamin D. Thus the dietery calcium is not fully utilised by the bones leading to a common disease among such women. Which is this disease? 4. Ohm’s law in electricity is well-known. In which other branch of physics does Ohm’s law appear and what does it pertain to? 5. If an elastic body is repeatedly subjected to an alternating deforming force, its elasticity is reduced due to which its use may have to be discontinued. (For instance, railway bridges become unsafe after prolonged use.) What is this property of the body called? 6. Worker honey bees perform complex dances to communicate to other bees the exact position and richness of sources of nectar and pollen. For this purpose they rely on their knowledge of the position of the Sun (even if hidden). What special name has been given to this type of dance? 7. Why is the sky dark at night, even though there are countless stars in the sky? Scientists till date do not have a satisfactory explanation for this puzzle. What is this puzzle called? 8. The pH of human blood lies between 7.36 and 7.42. Name the principal buffer present in blood which maintains its pH. 9. ‘Sugar of lead’ is sweet-tasting but highly poisonous. Which compound of lead are we talking about? 10. IAEA is an agency of the United Nations whose basic aim is to promote peaceful uses of atomic energy. What does IAEA stand for and where are its headquarters? Answers 1. Julius Robert
Oppenheimer 2. Cluster-II 3. Osteomalacia 4. Sound;
capacity of human ear to analyse complex sounds into
simple components and hear them separately 5. Elastic
fatigue 6. Waggle dance 7. Olber’s paradox 8.
Carbonic acid and bicarbonate ions 9. Lead ethanoate
(formerly lead acetate) 10. International Atomic Energy
Agency, Vienna, Austria. |
New products & discoveries Cars with more
magnesium In Hanover, Germany scientists are experimenting with magnesium-lithium alloys, which weigh just 1.3 grams per cubic centimetre, compared to a cubic centimetre of aluminium which weighs 2.7 grams, more than twice as much. Magnesium is four time lighter than iron, and it results in a significant weight reduction, even in comparison to aluminium, whose density is still around one third higher. A weight reduction of 100 kilograms in a vehicle lowers energy consumption by around 5 per cent. Therefore, the magnesium share of a car, which is currently one per cent, is to be raised to 10 per cent in future. Cassava key to
drug for cancer Cassava plant can be dangerous to consume as it exhibits cyanogenesis — production of the poisonous cyanide to deter grazing animals from eating it. If the cook is not careful, the meal could be dangerous. It should not be inferred that eating food made from cassava can cure cancer, the report warns. Scientists from Newcastle University in U.K. cloned the genes for two enzymes which break down the poison. The Spanish team from University of Madrid genetically engineered a gene isolated from cassava and transferred it to a retrovirus, that are used in experiments as payloads for carrying chemicals into cells, giving it the ability to manufacture linamarase. Gene chip
technology on desktops Writing in the journal Nature Biotechnology, a group of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, describe a new way to cheaply and simply manufacture the customised chips capable of deconstructing long segments of DNA. The technique enables biologists to scour huge chunks of animal and plant genomes in search of the genes that promote disease, the genetic switches that govern such biological phenomena as aging, and the DNA codes that permit micro-organisms to make antibiotics. At present, such chips are available only from a single company, Affymetrix of Santa Clara, California, USA. Off-the-shelf versions of Affymetrix chips cost $ 2,500 each. Customised chips containing DNA from specific organisms or tissues can take months to make and cost as much as $ 12,000. The new technique,
according to Michael Sussman, a co-author of the paper,
is known Masldess (MAS) Array Synthesizer. It promises to
take the technology right upto the laboratory of research
biologists. |
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ICICI launches
investing site The site also features a live stock market game which simulates the integrated features of the e invest account. The site also has a learning centre for the benefit of the first time investor to give them an overview of the Indian stock markets. Datapro made
distributor Datapro will distribute latest software products assured office, assured website and assured PKI from E Lock technologies. E Lock provides assurance to digital content through PKI based digital signature technology. This enables organisations to assure their web based transactions, communication and business. Strategic
alliance Integrated
interface The new interface includes functions for document management, product structure management, material management and integration into the SAP business workflow solution. Videoconferencing
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