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FAST FACTS

C&RL News, November 2004
Vol. 65, No. 10

by Gary Pattillo

World’s fastest supercomputer
IBM has manufactured a prototype supercomputer using their Blue Gene/L System. It operates at speeds of up to 36 teraflops. A teraflop is 1 trillion calculations per second. This new speed overtakes NEC’s Earth Simulator in Japan, which runs at a mere 35.86 teraflops.
Top 500 Supercomputer Sites, “IBM supercomputer sets world speed record,” top500.org. September 28, 2004.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Oxford University Press has published the first complete revision of the Dictionary of National Biography in a century. It contains 50,000 biographies written by 10,000 contributors from 51 countries. It took 12 years to revise the 60-volume work, which is also available online. The new edition has about 16,000 more entries than the original.
Louise Jury, “From Romans to rock stars: the biography of our nation,” The Independent (London), September 23, 2004.

Environmentally friendly books
“Greenpeace has enlisted bestselling author Isabel Allende in the latest phase of its drive to urge British publishers to use paper from sustainable sources.” Many publishers use virgin wood pulp from ancient forests in Europe, where logging endangers the survival of wildlife. JK Rowling’s Canadian publisher printed one million copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on post-consumer recycled, chlorine-free paper, making it the only edition in the world to be totally forest friendly. “According to a study by . . . Environmental Defense, each ton of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper that replaces virgin pulp saves 24 trees, three tons of wood and 17 million BTUs of energy.”
Michelle Pauli, “Greenpeace steps up ‘forest friendly’ campaign,” Guardian Unlimited, September 28, 2004.  books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1314824,00.html.

Cyber security perception
The National Cyber Security Alliance conducted a poll of computer users about their perceptions of online security. More than 30 percent of respondents believe that they are more likely to get struck by lightning, get audited by the IRS, or win the lottery than become the victim of a cyber security/privacy breach. According to the 2004 E-Crime Watch survey conducted by CSO magazine, however, there is a 70 percent chance of becoming a victim of computer security breach.
National Cyber Security Alliance, “Cyber Security Perception Straw Poll,” www.staysafeonline.info/news/NCSACyberSecurityStrawPerceptionPollReport.pdf. September 30, 2004.

Learning about learning
The National Science Foundation awarded $36.5 million for three centers to explore how humans, animals, and machines learn. The centers are located at Boston University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Washington. Their goal is to study learning across a wide range—from processes at the cellular level to complex processes engaging different brain areas, to behaviors of individuals, to interactions in the classroom, to learning in informal settings, to learning performed by computer algorithms.
The National Science Foundation, “Learning about learning,” NSF-OLPA-PR 04-137. www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/newsroom/pr.cfm?ni=15100000000121. September 30, 2004.