by Ken Chiacchia | Mar 13, 2026 | Bridges-2, Science Highlights
Octopuses’ arms can move in amazingly complex ways — and may be a better model than human arms for robots. Virtual Octopus Arm Shows Complex Movements Can Be Governed by Surprisingly Simple Programming While controlling the simple joints of a robot in human shape is...
by Ken Chiacchia | Feb 19, 2026 | Anniversary, Science Highlights
An early simulation with PSC’s second supercomputer, the Cray Y-MP, showed that carbon fiber was a plausible replacement for increasingly rare Norway spruce in crafting string instruments. CMU Project in 1988 Used PSC’s Cray Y-MP to Show Violin Top Plates of Carbon...
by Ken Chiacchia | Feb 12, 2026 | Research, Science Highlights
A 3D rendering of the delicate components of a quantum computer. Artificial Intelligence Improves Monte Carlo Simulations of Quantum Dots, Improving Accuracy of Storing and Reading Information Quantum computers promise a giant leap forward in computing power — maybe....
by Ken Chiacchia | Jan 15, 2026 | Anniversary, Science Highlights
“Pop art”: The Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Corporation used the Cray X-MP supercomputer to design the beverage can we know today. Credit: Emily Voelker/PSC 1987 Alcoa Work with PSC Supercomputer Helped Set Stage for Industrial Supercomputing Design Revolution...
by Ken Chiacchia | Jan 14, 2026 | Anton, Science Highlights
DNA strand wrapped around a series of protein-based nucleosomes (left) and an isolated nucleosome (right). DNA is orange, protein blue. Adobe stock. Simulations on Anton at PSC Suggest Cancer Mutations in Nucleosomes May Affect DNA Accessibility In our cells, over six...
