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  February 5, 2001: Highlights

Terascale computing system Terascale Computing System Comes On-Line
The new Terascale Computing System (TCS) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun operation well ahead of schedule and is exceeding performance expectations. With the computing system’s manufacturer, Compaq, the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center's (PSC) researchers and system engineers brought the initial 256 processor configuration on-line in late 2000 and have already used it to run research software weeks ahead of the February 1 target. The high-performance computing system will eventually exceed six trillion operations per second (teraflops), making it the world’s fastest for civilian research. More... (posted Jan 29 2001)

Glitches in Earth's Wobble Help Geophysicists Probe Planet's Core
Image of earth Millimeter deviations from the expected wobble of the Earth's axis are giving geophysicists clues to what happens 1,800 miles underground, at the boundary between Earth's mantle and its iron core. The research is funded by NSF. The new theory proposes that iron-rich sediments are floating to the top of Earth's core and sticking like gum to the bottom of the mantle, creating drag that throws Earth's wobble off by a millimeter or two over a period of about 18.6 years. More... (posted Jan 29 2001)

Image of predatory dog-sized dinosaur New Predatory Dog-Sized Dinosaur Unearthed on Madagascar
Fossilized remains of a bizarre, dog-sized predatory dinosaur were recently recovered on the island of Madagascar. The discovery, funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was announced in a recent issue of the journal Nature by a team of researchers led by paleontologist Scott Sampson of the University of Utah. The fossils, which date to the Late Cretaceous period (about 65-70 million years ago), represent a dinosaur new to science, dubbed Masiakasaurus knopfleri. The total mass of this small carnivore would have been approximately 35 kilograms (80 lbs.), roughly that of a German Shepherd dog. More... (posted Jan 24 2001)

 

Image of open sea Group of Microorganisms Discovered in the Open Sea
Archaea, one of three separate domains of life on our planet, were undiscovered until 1970. Since then, they had been found mostly in extreme environments such as high-temperature volcanic vents on the ocean floor, continental hot springs and fumeroles, and highly salty or acidic waters. Now, scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) have found unexpected, astounding numbers of archaea living in Earth's largest biome, the open sea. "This remarkable new insight will have a major impact on our view of how the oceans function ecologically, "says Phil Taylor, director of NSF's biological oceanography program, which, along with NSF's chemical oceanography program, funded the research. More... (posted Jan 24 2001)

 

Image of South Pole station New South Pole Station Power Plant, Satellite Link Go Online
Major construction projects to improve the electrical generating capacity and communications links at the National Science Foundation's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station were completed in January, despite extreme weather conditions in Antarctica that have hampered cargo flights. The new power plant, which went online on January 20, will increase the station's peak generating capacity to one megawatt of electrical energy, while providing three levels of backup redundancy. On January 18, meanwhile, personnel at the station, conducted a successful test of a new satellite ground station. More... (posted Jan 24 2001)


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