How FermiLab changed the computing world

[Rubberman]

This is a great article about computing at Fermi National Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois. It tells the story about how physicists have helped change the computing world, invented the Internet, and made Linux the common OS thread that it is today. The Tevatron's enduring computing legacy | iSGTW

Disclaimer: I am not an unbiased bystander. My wife is a PhD particle physicist and staff member of the computing division at Fermi Lab where she develops and maintains the actual physics software that lets these huge server farms extract meaningful information from the petabytes of raw data that the experiments generate. She started there in 1991-1992 when run one of the tevatron collider began its life.

Anyway, we all owe a great deal to these incredible boffins!

[Rubberman]

Just a side note: the last time my wife asked me (a professional software engineer) for help was when they were migrating most of the analytical/filtering software from Fortran to C++ and needed help understanding the Standard Template Library. Today, she most likely knows a LOT more about the STL than I ever did!

[Rubberman]

So, 341 people have read this post, but no one has replied to it... Any comments on the article?

[jayd512]

To be honest with you, I've always been fascinated by the work done at the Fermi Labs... even though most of it is WAY over my head.
And while I don't really remember much about the Tevatrons early days, I've been trying to keep track of their work over the last few years. And I'm hoping that the (rumored?) plans go through to continue work on muon collisions.

The article, though, was a nice reminder of what they actually did for the entire science community.

[elija]

I don't have have have much to say on the matter. Like Jayd I am fascinated by the experiments at CERN and more recently, since I found there was another one, the Fermi Labs. I don't think we can over-estimate the value these facilities have had for us. Unfortunately, I don't understand the science enough to converse even at a basic level and for a while at least, I'm not going to have the time to even try.

[Rubberman]

I don't have have have much to say on the matter. Like Jayd I am fascinated by the experiments at CERN and more recently, since I found there was another one, the Fermi Labs. I don't think we can over-estimate the value these facilities have had for us. Unfortunately, I don't understand the science enough to converse even at a basic level and for a while at least, I'm not going to have the time to even try.

Well, if you are ever in Illinois, you should stop by Fermi Lab. They have a great educational center and lab tours that helps explain the science to non-scientific types. Plus you can wander around the restored prairie grass lands and visit the buffalo herd that is maintained on the site. The site is one of the biggest ecological centers in the state, hosting its own herds of buffalo, deer, and packs of coyotes.

[rokytnji]

Read

Fermi Lab

But could not find the plans for the new fangled "STILL"

Would Like to tour sometime though if I ever get up north.

[jonyo]

first i'm hearing

[Jonathan183]

But could not find the plans for the new fangled "STILL"

I don't think contact in a distillation tower is quite what they had in mind !

Interesting article Rubberman ... I think I understand

[jayd512]

I don't think contact in a distillation tower is quite what they had in mind !

I dunno about that...
Shinin' is every bit of an art, just shy of some forms of physics!