There's a bit more on Intel's supercomp virtual NW tester at: URL: http://www.ssd.intel.com/press/asci1.html Here's a sample: ---------- Intel Scalable Systems Division Fortunately, advances in computer hardware and software technologies are making computer-based virtual weapons testing and prototyping a viable and affordable alternative to the traditional nuclear and non-nuclear testing of stockpile stewardship. The Intel teraflop computer announced today is a key milestone in the shift from nuclear testing to computer-simulated testing. The ASCI Program Located within the DOE's Defense Programs (DP) laboratories, the U.S. Department of Energy's Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) is a multi-year program to extend DOE's computational resources to support virtual testing and prototyping capabilities for nuclear weapons. ... ASCI has four objectives, each of which requires computational capabilities that are beyond the capabilities of existing systems: * Performance -- Create credible virtual tests to analyze the performance and predict the behavior of nuclear weapons. * Safety -- Predict the behavior of full weapons systems in complex accident scenarios. * Reliability -- Develop the ability to make predictions that will extend the lifetime of current weapons, predict failure mechanisms and reduce routine maintenance requirements. * Renewal -- Use virtual prototyping to reduce production and testing facilities for stockpile requalification and replacement work. ... Beyond its weapons safety impact, the teraflop computer will have a wide range of other applications -- from developing safer, more efficient cars to simulating natural disasters in real-time to finding new drugs to fight disease. The machine will be one of the world's foremost scientific research tools and will act as a magnet for advanced research projects. In 1963, John Kennedy referred to a test ban treaty as a shaft of light cut into the darkness of the Cold War -- a chance to step back from the shadows of war. Today, by making it possible to ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of the weapons stockpile while foregoing nuclear testing, the Intel/Sandia teraflop computer can help the world take a further step back from the shadows of war into the light of peace.