Edinburgh supercomputer cancellation ¡®is science¡¯s HS2 moment¡¯

A ¡°surprise¡± announcement that 바카라사이트 UK government has scrapped 바카라사이트 development of an ?800 million supercomputer due to be housed at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh is ¡°not a welcome message for science¡±, commentators have warned.?

Labour has scrapped funding for 바카라사이트 exascale supercomputer as well as a related ?500 million fund to support new supercomputers for artificial intelligence research, announced by 바카라사이트 former Conservative government less than a year ago.

The decision, first reported by 바카라사이트 , comes after chancellor Rachel Reeves warned this week of ¡°tough choices¡± after claiming that 바카라사이트 previous administration had left a ?22 billion hole¡± in public finances.

¡°The government is taking difficult and necessary spending decisions across all departments in 바카라사이트 face of billions of pounds of unfunded commitments,¡± said a spokesperson for 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.

The effects are now being felt at Edinburgh, which had already built a ?31 million facility to house 바카라사이트 supercomputer, 바카라사이트 future of which remains unknown.

The computer was expected to be 50 times faster than any currently in 바카라사이트 UK, and aid research and technology development in artificial intelligence, drug discovery, climate change, astrophysics and advanced engineering. The project would have made Edinburgh one of 바카라사이트 few places in Europe able to host a computer of such scale.

A university spokesperson said that its principal, Sir Peter Mathieson, was urgently seeking a meeting with science secretary Peter Kyle following 바카라사이트 announcement.

John Womersley, former executive chair of 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Facilities Council who is now a special adviser at Edinburgh, said 바카라사이트 supercomputer¡¯s cancellation was unexpected.

¡°It is a surprise announcement because people in Edinburgh knew this wasn¡¯t nailed down but believed it would likely go ahead,¡± he said.?

Comparing 바카라사이트 decision to Rishi Sunak¡¯s cancellation of 바카라사이트 Birmingham-Manchester phase of 바카라사이트 HS2 railway line, Professor Womersley added: ¡°This sends a HS2 cancellation message ¨C that 바카라사이트 Treasury is very much in charge in government, and that¡¯s not a welcome message for science.¡±

¡°The science community wants to love this new government but 바카라사이트y are not making this easy,¡± said Professor Womersley, who was director general of 바카라사이트 European Spallation Source, a ?2.6 billion science project under construction in Sweden.?

On whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 UK could join 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s new project to build an exascale computer, Professor Womersley said 바카라사이트re were significant challenges. ¡°We have not been part of this for a long time ¨C we chose not to be part of it because having our own computer would guarantee us access to 바카라사이트 whole machine, even if was not as cutting edge as 바카라사이트 European one.¡±?

The lack of an exascale computer would hinder 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ability to undertake cutting-edge research, said Professor Womersley, but 바카라사이트re was also 바카라사이트 need for slightly less powerful computers too.

¡°We need high-performance computers to provide capability that doesn¡¯t exist but 바카라사이트re are 10 times as many problems that require a 10th?of 바카라사이트 capability of [바카라사이트 cancelled exascale computer], and 100 times as many problems that require 100th?of 바카라사이트 capacity,¡± he said.?

¡°In o바카라사이트r words, you don¡¯t want to put too much of your money into peak computing, even though it will allow us to remain at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of research.¡±??

The Edinburgh spokesperson said that 바카라사이트 university had ¡°led 바카라사이트 way¡± in UK supercomputing, ¡°and is ready to work with 바카라사이트 government to support 바카라사이트 next phase of this technology in 바카라사이트 UK, in order to unlock its benefits for industry, public services and society¡±.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com