by Lynette Alice

Created on: May 05, 2008   Last Updated: February 04, 2009

Boston Massachusetts is a hotbed of scientific and technological advancements. Currently there are over one hundred and eighty projects involving over six hundred scientists worldwide on the cutting edge of advancing disciplines such quantum systems and space weather modeling, and earthquake models for the analysis of crustal straining. The research being conducted currently has the potential to positively effect the lives of every person on the planet, making a visit to Boston University's Center for Computational Sciences on three Cummington Street a great stop on your visit.

With Boston University's 1024-node IBM Blue Gene system groundbreaking research is being conducted everyday at a previously unknown high level of speed. While all projects carry great importance perhaps one of the most exciting is the research into crustal straining. While crustal straining is generally associated to earthquakes it is aggravated by volcanic activity, landslides, and tectonic instability as well.

This research is imperative and exciting because of it's potential to help in a diverse array of areas. Government and business sectors adore the potential knowledge of this study as it relates to providing invaluable information for the placement of sensitive structures such power plants. Scientists revel in the idea of understanding why such phenomena as earthquakes stop. This study will offer the ability to accurately predict not just fore-shocks but aftershocks as well which can save countless lives. Significant progress is being made in their efforts to calculate both three dimensional stress and deformation changes due to earthquakes in layered poroelastic media for comparison particularly to space geodetic data.

The particular area of research which relates to the everyday functioning of not only Bostonians but everyone using technology is quantum systems and space weather modeling. We take for granted that items we use such as wireless Internet computers, cellphones, and anything which is satellite aided in it's operation will simply work on demand. However the weather in space such as coronal mass ejections which shoot hundreds of thousands of miles into space with million mile per hour winds, blow charged particles towards earth which can disable satellites and power grids. By understanding space weather it can become possible to understand the vulnerabilities of the satellites we are increasingly dependent on make them less susceptible to such onslaughts.

The Center

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