Behind the scenes of 2019’s innovative discoveries, Research Technologies and the Pervasive Technology Institute at IU support advancements that improve connectivity and pave the way for the next big thing. Check out a few noteworthy items from 2019, and stay tuned for new projects in 2020!
The first image of a black hole obtained using Event Horizon Telescope observations of the center of the galaxy M87. Credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration.
Imaging a black hole
Looking out to the milky way, Jetstream was part of the modeling process for an international network of radio telescopes which captured the first image of a black hole. On a micro-level, a physics research team used machine learning nodes on Carbonate to study the identity and behavior of neutrinos.
Salt extraction molecule
Researchers from IU Chemistry’s Flood Lab used supercomputer Big Red II to model a new salt extraction molecule; its discovery offers new possibilities for protecting metal from sea water, and for increasing the availability of drinking water.
Golden Kaiser-I-Hind butterfly (photo by Tsun Fung Au, Indiana University)
Tracking butterfly populations
An IU researcher used supercomputing cluster Karst to track the distribution of butterfly populations in Southeast Asia to improve understanding of future habitats and threats to the species.
Searching the Sequence Read Archive
The Sequence Read Archive (SRA) is an immense digital library of genome datasets available that integrates information from three archive platforms as part of an international biobanking effort between the US, Japan, and the European Union. Jetstream makes the computing side of things easy by allowing scientists to search for genes, bacteria, viruses, etc., and then, within a few short hours, providing a summary of similar sequences and other environments in which it has been found.
Political event data extraction
Using Jetstream’s virtual machines, political scientists at the University of Oklahoma are extracting and organizing data from over 300 million news articles with the machine learning program TERRIER. They aim to make the 24-7 news cycle searchable, helping researchers better understand increasingly connected world events.
3D print of IU’s Showalter Fountain (image by Scott Birch, Indiana University)
Celebrating IU’s bicentennial: Showalter Fountain
Finally, to celebrate IU’s bicentennial in 2020, the Advanced Visualization Lab used photogrammetry and 3D printing techniques to bring models of IU landmarks and artifacts, including a rendering of the historic Showalter Fountain, to counties across Indiana.
For updates on workshops, internships, research opportunities, and all things supercomputing, follow @IU_PTI on Twitter.
