What would you do with a supercomputer?

Supercomputers are awesome. They have terabytes of RAM, petabytes of disk space, thousands of CPUs and are insanely fast. Here's the full details about the Titan supercomputer: http://en.wikipedia...._(supercomputer

It's pretty amazing, but what would you do with such power? Note that running normal desktop applications such as Minecraft is both overkill and difficult, since minecraft doesn't/can't use all whopping 299008 CPU cores and 693.5 TiB of RAM, it can't even utilise all of my 6 CPU cores or 8GB of RAM. Not to mention porting Java and Minecraft is near-impossible and stupid. You could run it in an emulator, but that defeats the point.

So yes, what would you compute? Insanely massive scale cellular automata (e.g. Conway's Game Of Life), finding all Knight's Tours, Universe/insanely accurate physics simulation, run evolution/natural selection algorithms, calculate pi to insanely large precision and try to find patterns? I'd love to know.


Assume you're some rich guy who can afford this and/or you were donated computing time on this thing for like a few months.
Also assume the supercomputer comes with a (smallish) team of programmers that know how to make stuff for the supercomputer. Don't expect this team to be able to do everything like make a 100% realistic universe simulation or make Half Life 3, though.

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

If I had a supercomputer, I would find a distro of linux for it (cause I'm sure someone has made one) then play this with all my freinds on one freakin' computer.

Lease out time slots on it to (hopefully) recoup the costs of electricity to run the hardware. Or just sell it. That's probably less of a nightmare.

I would mine Bitcoins or Litecoins or something.

Csstform, on 06 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

If I had a supercomputer, I would find a distro of linux for it (cause I'm sure someone has made one) then play this with all my freinds on one freakin' computer.

The titan already linked above runs linux… In fact the entire top 10 run linux.


First thing I would do if I had a supercomputer would have to be rob a bank in order to get the money to buy a building big enough to fit said supercomputer inside. Then use the supercomputer to cover my traces.

nutcase84, on 06 February 2014 - 10:41 AM said:

I would mine Bitcoins or Litecoins or something.

\\('-')// ^this.
I would probably do a small bit of mining, then make the computer into a server. Then I would install a MC server, FTB DW20 server, Tekkit Lite server, MC Plugins server, somewhere around four Terraria servers, and maybe a TF2 server. Considering the fact I am able to support this computer, I should be able to buy the internet for this server.

I'd play minecraft on it while leasing minecraft servers on it.
Although with normal modded MC I barely utilise my 4Gb of ram and 2-core processor.

gollark8, on 06 February 2014 - 03:53 PM said:

I'd play minecraft on it while leasing minecraft servers on it.
Although with normal modded MC I barely utilise my 4Gb of ram and 2-core processor.

There is a reason for that. Minecraft is capped at 1gb of RAM and only uses 2 threads (both defaults and there are a few workarounds).

Csstform, on 06 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

Fixed it!

Lyqyd, on 06 February 2014 - 10:40 AM said:

Lease out time slots on it to (hopefully) recoup the costs of electricity to run the hardware. Or just sell it. That's probably less of a nightmare.

Assume you're some rich guy who can afford this and/or you were donated computing time on this thing for like a few months.
Also assume the supercomputer comes with a (smallish) team of programmers that know how to make stuff for the supercomputer. Don't expect this team to be able to do everything like make a 100% realistic universe simulation or make Half Life 3, though.

Come on guys, you all want to run normal desktop programs? How boring!

Alright, how about this for the people who suggest MC servers:
First, modify the vanilla MC server to run on the supercomputer. Next, Make the tick processing code (what processes AI and redstone) multithreaded and not afraid to use RAM and other available resources, and keep all generated chunks loaded at all times.
Now, modify it so that redstone is not simulated at 40 ticks per second, but at something like 4 000 000 ticks per second (or any appropriate number that almost maxes out the supercomputer's processing speeds), but only send the new ticks 40 times per second to the connected player(s) to keep them from getting overloaded.

Now, run a Minecraft redstone computer, or build your own, as big as you want (since all chunks are loaded at all times). I'm also sure such a server would be pretty popular with redstoners.



Of course, that's still impractical and assumes you can run Java on the Titan. But it's a lot more interesting than running boring old MC servers on it. Think BIG!

nutcase84, on 06 February 2014 - 10:41 AM said:

I would mine Bitcoins or Litecoins or something.

I'd run a crazy Minecraft server with 99999999 slots and a ton of minigames and different sections of the server (access via portals) where you can use different modpacks (with BungeeCord or whatever they call it just sending them to another server running on that one supercomp.)

I might also do Bitcoin mining on it, but whatever I do, I need to know that someone else is paying for that electricity. :)/>

EDIT: I'd also host the server website :)/>

Calculate what it would take to knock the moon out of orbit, and launch it into the sun. Then have the computer gather the necessary supplies and do it. (That big enough?)

md5 reverse hashing

Csstform, on 07 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

Calculate what it would take to knock the moon out of orbit, and launch it into the sun. Then have the computer gather the necessary supplies and do it. (That big enough?)

Orbital equations and a calculator will tell you the Delta-V requirement of that, you don't need a supercomputer for it :)/> The weight and orbital parameters of the moon and earth are already known, so it would just be an SOI transfer and deorbit calculation.
And as for the second part… I guess you could buy X amount of rockets required to push the moon from spaceX automatically, though there aren't enough metals and supplies on the entire earth for that amount of rockets. Sending the E-mail automatically isn't too difficult though.

So, still not big enough!

Calculate prime numbers, get a trillion digits of pi, and render insane animations at incredible resolution

I see evil uses of the Titan too, like an attack and then reverse hashing people's passwords.

"The server that couldn't be DDoS'd"

gamax92, on 08 February 2014 - 06:33 PM said:

"The server that couldn't be DDoS'd"

The network will be the bottleneck. All they need to do is take down the your connection(s) to the Internet.

Shazz, on 08 February 2014 - 07:16 PM said:

gamax92, on 08 February 2014 - 06:33 PM said:

"The server that couldn't be DDoS'd"

The network will be the bottleneck. All they need to do is take down the your connection(s) to the Internet.

Standard DDoS attack is done by initiating a TCP handshake procedure and then never completing it correctly leaving the connection open, then multiply by a few thousand. The network traffic isnt necessarily the bottleneck (as TCP handshakes are only 3 packets long, open wireshark on your PC and you will find that 3 packets will be lost in the flood), it does actually tend to be the server allocating resources to the connection and not freeing them.

Csstform, on 06 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

If I had a supercomputer, I would find a distro of linux for it (cause I'm sure someone has made one) then play this with all my freinds on one freakin' computer.

Wouldn't that work on any computer?

Wiiplay123, on 18 February 2014 - 11:59 AM said:

Csstform, on 06 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

If I had a supercomputer, I would find a distro of linux for it (cause I'm sure someone has made one) then play this with all my freinds on one freakin' computer.

Wouldn't that work on any computer?

Do you mean the game with multiple people at once? Depends on how many friends you have. Distrobutions of Linux are programmed towards standard computer hardware and ps3 hardware, I'm not sure if it's currently compatible with the supercomputer's processor.

Death, on 18 February 2014 - 12:25 PM said:

Wiiplay123, on 18 February 2014 - 11:59 AM said:

Csstform, on 06 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

If I had a supercomputer, I would find a distro of linux for it (cause I'm sure someone has made one) then play this with all my freinds on one freakin' computer.

Wouldn't that work on any computer?

Do you mean the game with multiple people at once? Depends on how many friends you have. Distrobutions of Linux are programmed towards standard computer hardware and ps3 hardware, I'm not sure if it's currently compatible with the supercomputer's processor.

Check wikipedia, the entire top 10 list of supercomputers use the linux kernel.

6677, on 18 February 2014 - 01:31 PM said:

Death, on 18 February 2014 - 12:25 PM said:

I'm not sure if it's currently compatible with the supercomputer's processor.

Check wikipedia, the entire top 10 list of supercomputers use the linux kernel.

I said I wasn't sure :P/>

6677, on 18 February 2014 - 01:31 PM said:

Death, on 18 February 2014 - 12:25 PM said:

Wiiplay123, on 18 February 2014 - 11:59 AM said:

Csstform, on 06 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

//offtopic - your link is messed up.

If I had a supercomputer, I would find a distro of linux for it (cause I'm sure someone has made one) then play this with all my freinds on one freakin' computer.

Wouldn't that work on any computer?

Do you mean the game with multiple people at once? Depends on how many friends you have. Distrobutions of Linux are programmed towards standard computer hardware and ps3 hardware, I'm not sure if it's currently compatible with the supercomputer's processor.

Check wikipedia, the entire top 10 list of supercomputers use the linux kernel.

Wiiplay: Yes, but you cant necessarily run it for all people on one computer. I played the other day and we were lagging hard on semi good computers.

Csstform: Not a group of semi-good pcs, a supercomputer. It's a big difference ;)/>

Ask it what the answer to life, the universe and everything is.

Mailmanq!, on 21 February 2014 - 05:15 PM said:

Ask it what the answer to life, the universe and everything is.

42 c:

I would make a super realistic version of kerbal space program that simulates every atom in the universe. I would also mod games to calculate every photon real time, providing real life shading in realtime. I would probably also teach the computer to extract data from the internet, allowing it to answer any question if the answer is on the internet. I might also teach it to learn, but then we could end up with a robotic civil war :(/>. Also, I would have it figure out quantum physics and time travel.

PS. Why get a supercomputer if you can legitly build a quantum computer (today, we have the technology) for cheaper (only about $50 Mil.)

Mine the shit of of them bitcoins!

AssossaGPB, on 13 March 2014 - 07:56 PM said:

I would make a super realistic version of kerbal space program that simulates every atom in the universe. I would also mod games to calculate every photon real time, providing real life shading in realtime. I would probably also teach the computer to extract data from the internet, allowing it to answer any question if the answer is on the internet. I might also teach it to learn, but then we could end up with a robotic civil war :(/>. Also, I would have it figure out quantum physics and time travel.

PS. Why get a supercomputer if you can legitly build a quantum computer (today, we have the technology) for cheaper (only about $50 Mil.)

Quantum computers can't do everything that super computers can do.

LeGoldFish, on 14 March 2014 - 05:21 PM said:

Quantum computers can't do everything that super computers can do.

Indeed, they are very limited in what they can do.
At the current state Quantum Computers can only run a few algorithm such as the Shor's algorithm and even so, it is really hard to get a Quantum Computer running due to Quantum decoherence.

Anavrins, on 14 March 2014 - 05:56 PM said:

LeGoldFish, on 14 March 2014 - 05:21 PM said:

Quantum computers can't do everything that super computers can do.

Indeed, they are very limited in what they can do.
At the current state Quantum Computers can only run a few algorithm such as the Shor's algorithm and even so, it is really hard to get a Quantum Computer running due to Quantum decoherence.

You know I got that from Grim's server when we were talking about that? :P/>

I'd probably try to play a games with more than 10 FPS like my Windows PCs been getting.

Well.. The purpose of super computers are to run Websites, Servers, Facebook, yahoo, google, twitter, and much more!! Super Computers uses Unix OSes and Linux I think.. I think Windows Server OS cannot handle that kind of hardware my friend maybe it can..

IsaacTBeast, on 15 March 2014 - 02:13 AM said:

Well.. The purpose of super computers are to run Websites, Servers, Facebook, yahoo, google, twitter, and much more!! Super Computers uses Unix OSes and Linux I think.. I think Windows Server OS cannot handle that kind of hardware my friend maybe it can..

Wow, so far from the truth its totally unbelievable.

Websites, facebook, yahoo, google, twitter (actually that still summarises to websites) are not run from supercomputers….

6677, on 15 March 2014 - 09:48 AM said:

IsaacTBeast, on 15 March 2014 - 02:13 AM said:

Well.. The purpose of super computers are to run Websites, Servers, Facebook, yahoo, google, twitter, and much more!! Super Computers uses Unix OSes and Linux I think.. I think Windows Server OS cannot handle that kind of hardware my friend maybe it can..

Wow, so far from the truth its totally unbelievable.

Websites, facebook, yahoo, google, twitter (actually that still summarises to websites) are not run from supercomputers….

True, in fact they're hosted off countless computers around the globe.

Oh…

I would program it to do my homework.

hmmm…

mine the most profitable coin? (if i dont have to pay for the supercomputer.. :P/>)
calculate all the pi
md5 reverse hashing
host a SSP mc server (no more shall my SSP world lag XD)
DDoS anyone who has DDoSed me in the past for revenge

I could probably think of a lot more, and would do a lot more.. but yeh.

sci4me, on 15 March 2014 - 10:11 PM said:

calculate all the pi

You'll be spending sometime doing that… all of eternity in fact :P/>

Mailmanq!, on 21 February 2014 - 05:15 PM said:

Ask it what the answer to life, the universe and everything is.

Damn, you stole my line. :P/>

Although, the correct wording would be 'Ask it what the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is.'

Shnupbups100, on 15 March 2014 - 11:30 PM said:

Mailmanq!, on 21 February 2014 - 05:15 PM said:

Ask it what the answer to life, the universe and everything is.

Damn, you stole my line. :P/>

Although, the correct wording would be 'Ask it what the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is.'

Meh, I have a HUGE list of books, and I don't order by importance, but by time I hear of them. This means I read every single book so I can get to the next one, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is somewhere on there and I haven't gotten to it, just wanted to beat everyone.

AssossaGPB, on 13 March 2014 - 07:56 PM said:

I would make a super realistic version of kerbal space program that simulates every atom in the universe. I would also mod games to calculate every photon real time, providing real life shading in realtime. I would probably also teach the computer to extract data from the internet, allowing it to answer any question if the answer is on the internet. I might also teach it to learn, but then we could end up with a robotic civil war :(/>. Also, I would have it figure out quantum physics and time travel.

PS. Why get a supercomputer if you can legitly build a quantum computer (today, we have the technology) for cheaper (only about $50 Mil.)

Probably the first post on this topic that would actually put a supercomputer to proper use!

The "answer any question" thing's already half done for you, see wolfram alpha: http://www.wolframalpha.com/
solves any math equation, can tell you what the weather was like on the day you were born, knows the amount of paint it would take to cover the moon's surface, and a ton of other cool stuff. You just need to know how to word your questions, takes some getting used to.

I would sell it as fast as possible, every day would be lost worth …
I have 8x4 to 8x4,2 Ghz and i have no clue what i need it for lol

I hope this doesn't count as a necro, and a new thread would be redundant.

I would play a modded Minecraft, all day.

For some reason a modded-MC will eat up all of my eight GB of RAM, slowly but surely, making me take breaks once in a while. This totally sucks on time off and weekends (student).

I would make a minecrafft server running…

• Computercraft
• Thermal Expansion
• Project Red
• Openblocks
• Bibliocraft
• Railcraft
• Buildcraft
• And others

Also i would have it running a highly optimized linux distro.

Also it would be calculating Pi all the time :P/>

Brute force attack notches minecraft account.

I wouldn't be surprised if Notch's account has different security than the others, since there are probably quite a few people who want to access his account.

Make a multidimensional version of the Game of Life, eg third dimension and up.

jewelshisen, on 22 April 2014 - 03:10 AM said:

Make a multidimensional version of the Game of Life, eg third dimension and up.

Nice !! For once something good :)/>

c4ooo, on 22 April 2014 - 03:35 AM said:

jewelshisen, on 22 April 2014 - 03:10 AM said:

Make a multidimensional version of the Game of Life, eg third dimension and up.

Nice !! For once something good :)/>

Well I would also use it to run a Modded Minecraft server at the same time.

I will make a Nuclear Controller, Hackers Society, Multiple Social Websites, Minecraft Servers, League of Legends server(I'll donate for the lol company), ComputerCraft Webserver(I will donate the other Supercomputers to dan200), NASA Space Controller, Rocket Controller, Satellite Controller, Big RC cars Controller, Helicopters with homing missiles that can control with my COMPUTER, ODIN Controller, Project Thor Controller so I can destroy the world.. so YEAH :)/>

Why would you do anything with a supercomputer besides render raytraced 64k by 64k resolution 3d fractal videos in realtime?

IsaacTBeast, on 22 April 2014 - 07:25 AM said:

I will make a Nuclear Controller, Hackers Society, Multiple Social Websites, Minecraft Servers, League of Legends server(I'll donate for the lol company), ComputerCraft Webserver(I will donate the other Supercomputers to dan200), NASA Space Controller, Rocket Controller, Satellite Controller, Big RC cars Controller, Helicopters with homing missiles that can control with my COMPUTER, ODIN Controller, Project Thor Controller so I can destroy the world.. so YEAH :)/>/>

Come on even a super computer can't do EVERY THING.

I would simulate the falling of microsoft and figure out how to kill them forever

I would make it do 18,232,212,149 advanced equations per second.
And then generate text images based on numbers it generates.
Then attempt to code a auto-coder that makes a minimum of 20 lines per second, and a maximum of 190,000,000,000 lines per second.
Then, run 180 Minecraft servers on it.
And run 10000 modded Minecraft servers on it.
And program it to edit non-server mods to let them run on servers.
Repeat the regular Minecraft servers for every version.
And then repeat the modded Minecraft servers for Beta 1.8 to 1.7.2.

scj643, on 24 April 2014 - 06:01 AM said:

I would simulate the falling of microsoft and figure out how to kill them forever

A most excellent and noble plan. In fact, I would even stop my fractal renderer in order to make your program finish sooner, so M$ would die and everyone would have more efficient operating systems so their fractals would render faster.

with a supercomputer…i would program it to start at the year 1960 so it would have to replay thoroughout world war I, world war II, the great depression then finally this civilization would make another supercomputer..and so forth until there is an infinity of inception!!!

I Would devote the majority of cycles to genetic programming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_programming to design better not conflicting internet protocols. Then turn it loose on all open source programs to do the same (No more Heartbleed incidents). Last of all, make it design a Atlas for me to pound down all those who oppose internet freedoms and privacy. Developing and deploying a better cryptocurrency with the free cycles.

hack government
force nsa to targeting surveillance
then hack google and remove all their tracking stuffs.
afterwards, I'd hack nasa and see if they're hiding something.
then play tf2

Csstform, on 07 February 2014 - 10:38 AM said:

Calculate what it would take to knock the moon out of orbit, and launch it into the sun. Then have the computer gather the necessary supplies and do it. (That big enough?)

you'd end up slowly killing the earth until only humans and plants are left. then nobody can enjoy hot dogs or hamburgers.
thanks a lot. the earth needs the moon.

I would create a machine able to place you inside a video game, the machine being able to transfer data from the game to your brain so that you can see from REAL first person and feel everything inside a real-life video game

Maybe mine Bitcoin, or just seed torrents ehe. Probably lease it out periodically to make a bit of income.

I'd Host 6 server of minecraft, give loads of ram, Run minecraft, and record at the same time. then i would give 6 gb of ram to each program so its so op

6677, on 06 February 2014 - 12:20 PM said:

First thing I would do if I had a supercomputer would have to be rob a bank in order to get the money to buy a building big enough to fit said supercomputer inside. Then use the supercomputer to cover my traces.

why not just put the computer in the bank?

also i'd make sha-2048

*Konlab gets a supercomputer*
I make code a quatum world simulation and watch chemical reactions happen only by implementing quantum physics. Then I simulate a PC by calculating only its particles and I will play minecraft on the simulated PC. Or I simulate a human in the computer… I will take over the world…

Skynet!

I would host a thousand Ubuntu 15.10/Windows 10 virtual machines and connect (with friends and Xonotic) to it through ethernet-connected cheap laptops.

i would use Virtual Machines and start a hosting service

I would DDoS everyone

EsKreme, on 10 November 2015 - 11:14 PM said:

I would DDoS everyone

calm down satan

I would utilize all that computing power to cause as many minor inconveniences to as many people as possible

I would rent it to buy a quantum computer

I would cure world hunger…
^ Pretty much sums up all the answers so far

Gorzoid, on 11 November 2015 - 05:20 PM said:

I would cure world hunger…
^ Pretty much sums up all the answers so far

How?

I would eat it *yummy* *cough*Computing power *cough*

Creator, on 11 November 2015 - 05:22 PM said:

Gorzoid, on 11 November 2015 - 05:20 PM said:

I would cure world hunger…
^ Pretty much sums up all the answers so far

How?

Distributed computing, research on biological modification in plants, plant growth hormones, chocolate?

more things. yaaaay. <_</>

i'd see how much multithreading i can do at once

I'd make it play tic-tac-toe against itself. Like all the time. I'd also add graphics so intense it will be laggy. Imagine it like an epic 3D tic-tac-toe experience.