COSMOS unveiled!
On Monday, 19th May 1997 the COSMOS supercomputer - the world's first national cosmology supercomputer - was officially launched at an event attended by UK-CCC consortium members, Silicon Graphics executives and a large contingent from the press, including Reuters, BBC, ITN and CNN, as well as print journalists from around the world. Professor Stephen Hawking marked the occasion by delivering a popular lecture entitled "Is the end finally in sight for theoretical physics?"
Press conference
A pre-launch press conference was held in which Dr Paul Shellard and Professor Neil Turok described the consortium, the computer and the cosmology!
The COSMOS launch made waves in the heavyweight national and international press with stories on television, radio and in the newspapers surrounding the launch of COSMOS. Here are five examples which you can still find on the internet:
A comprehensive listing of news stories and articles is being compiled by the University of Cambridge press office which will be available online shortly. Stay tuned.
Stephen Hawking's lecture: "Is the end in sight ..."
Report to follow ... Professor Hawking gave a 50:50 chance of physicists finding the ultimate theory within the next twenty years.
To find out more about Professor Hawking, principal investigator of the UK-CCC, please click below:
COSMOS launch press release (7th May 1997)
Professor Stephen Hawking to deliver lecture as national cosmology supercomputer is launched
The official launch of the COSMOS supercomputer, the first national supercomputer dedicated to cosmological research, will take place on Monday 19th May at Cambridge University. The launch will be hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alec Broers, and attended by some of the leading cosmology researchers in the country. These researchers have joined together to create the UK Computational Cosmology Consortium (UK-CCC), which owns the supercomputer.
The event will also be attended by representatives of Silicon Graphics/Cray Research, which created COSMOS, a 32 processor Origin2000 supercomputer valued at 2M pounds.
Professor Stephen Hawking, principal investigator of the UK-CCC, will deliver a lecture entitled, "Is the end in sight for theoretical physics? Part II." His lecture will be followed by a demonstration of COSMOS.
Notes for editors:
1. In addition to Silicon Graphics' substantial support, the crucial contribution for the project came from the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) through its 1996 Joint Research Equipment Initiative. The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) also provided funding.
2. Members of the UK-CCC include the Universities of Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Oxford, and Sussex, Imperial College, London and the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh.
For more information please contact:
Carol Barker or Louise Simpson, Press and Publications Office, University of Cambridge, Tel:(01223) 332300; Email: cb242@cam.ac.uk
Take a guided and illustrated tour describing the new national cosmology supercomputer and the exciting science which initiated this project.
