Sometimes researchers need high bandwidth for the same reasons they need open access. "[Tom] Goodale, a research associate at Louisiana State University's Center for Computation & Technology, uses supercomputers to simulate phenomena in astrophysics and relativity, such as collisions between neutron stars. But the data produced by the simulations are so massive -- exceeding a terabyte, or the equivalent of 15,000 music CD's -- that often it is not feasible for Mr. Goodale to retrieve results over existing computer networks. Instead, he and colleagues resort to copying data from the supercomputer onto tapes or computer hard disks, which are shipped to the researcher. 'Quite often, the most efficient way to get data from one point to another is by FedEx,' says Mr. Goodale. This puts a brake on research because scholars can't take a look at the results and quickly tweak the simulation for another try, says Gabrielle Allen, an associate professor of computer science at Louisiana State." More in Vincent Kiernan, The Next Information Superhighway, Chronicle of Higher Education, July 9, 2004 (accessible only to subscribers).
Posted by
Peter Suber at 7/08/2004 08:28:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
