“This is a great update to reflect our supercomputers’ latest work,” says the Bradbury’s director, Linda Deck. “The refresh is a result of a great partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Foundation. It demonstrates how supercomputing impacts many different facets of science, from climate change to modeling diseases. The IEEE Foundation also wanted to share how sustainable engineering supports supercomputers’ functions, like the Sanitary Effluent Reclamation Facility (SERF), which treats and reuses wastewater in cooling towers essential to operations.”
Designers created built-in sustainability for the exhibit itself by incorporating touchscreen presentations that will be updated to reflect supercomputing’s rapid progress. Observant visitors will notice that the exhibit is strategically positioned in between the museum’s research and defense galleries, as the Lab’s supercomputers have applications in both scientific and security initiatives.
The exhibit also highlights women’s critical contributions to computing and the technical developments that continue to expand supercomputing’s impact. Guiding the visitors throughout the exhibit is a colorful character named Tubie, a vacuum tube avatar created through the Cultural Technology Internship Program, a partnership between the Bradbury and New Mexico Highlands University.
“We are so excited to share the ongoing story of supercomputers with our visitors,” says Deck. A public celebration for the exhibit will take place at the Bradbury later this month, with date and details soon to be announced. The new supercomputing exhibit is now open for all to experience.
For general visiting information, click here.