As in the previous years, this year our supercomputing centre took part in the Researcher's Night. The evening event, during which hundreds of scientific departments open their doors, took place on Friday 24th September. The main theme of this year's event was TIME. That is to say, a variable we have a lot to say about at IT4Innovations.
"Supercomputers can be applied wherever conventional methods would take too long," says the lecturer during the presentation on supercomputers, adding, "Why do you think the vaccine for COVID-19 was developed in such record time? The answer is: Thanks to supercomputers." The group of female students nod, clearly intrigued by the real-life example. And how do we imagine such a supercomputer? The speaker, a young scientist from IT4Innovations, sends them to the showroom. That is a room where they can have a closer look at the Ostrava supercomputers. Including the newest and most powerful one in the Czech Republic - the Karolina supercomputer.
Meanwhile, in the showroom, the conversation turned to the fields in which supercomputers are most used. "Discovering planets, new materials, weather forecasting, designing large buildings." All of which the supermachines, which to some look like lockers, help with. How do you get access to supercomputers? Have Ostrava's supercomputers helped develop a cure? Do they mine bitcoins? It is clear from the number of questions that people are simply fascinated by supercomputers...
Other examples from practice do not leave our students waiting long. "Sit down, let's have your eyes checked," says the man with glasses, taking a white semi-long device in his hand. He points this first at the right eye and then the left. "Everything is fine," he replies after a moment. The device attracts attention, and a queue forms at the desk. Others also want to undergo the unique retinal examination, which is also backed by Ostrava's supercomputers, or artificial intelligence - by training neural networks, it helps to streamline the examination of patients' retinas.
Visitors walk between the stands, solve puzzles, control robots, and thanks to 3D glasses they virtually move into the hall with supercomputers. Children are excitedly running around with words: "I've found a super spell, I've defeated Voldemort!" We're talking about a game we invented especially for child visitors. It introduces the role of supercomputers on the example of Harry Potter. The greatest wizard of all time needs to defeat the evil lord, Voldemort, and it is the supercomputers of Ostrava that help him.
The Researcher's Night programme is complemented by a series of excursions. Traditionally, the most popular is a guided tour behind the scenes of the supercomputing centre to see that supercomputers are not just about "those boxes" of servers. It takes a whole range of modern technologies to make it work properly. While on the roof of the building, interested visitors learn about the sophisticated cooling system of the supermachines, a group of 16 people settle into comfortable seats for another tour on the floor below. You wouldn't know we were in one of our labs. It's more like a cinema. The participants of this excursion put on 3D glasses, but instead of a movie, there is a presentation of the projects that IT4Innovations scientists are working on.
Ten o'clock strikes, and Voldemort has been defeated at least a hundred times, but some visitors are not too keen to go home. Another year of the Researcher' Night is successfully over. The number of 590 visitors at IT4Innovations makes us happy. We look forward to seeing you again next year, in 2022.
