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Live Q&A (Mentimeter)
The Ecological Impact of High-performance Computing in Science
Monday 9 May – 16:00 CEST.
Abstract
High-performance computer use continues to increase in science, and so also its impact on the environment. To minimize the effects, scientists should avoid interpreted scripting languages such as Python, and favor the optimal use of energy-efficient workstations.
Speaker
Simon Portegies Zwart leads the interdisciplinary research team on Computational Astrophysics at Leiden Observatory. His main objective is to understand the universe by simulation and to develop the necessary algorithms and tools. This includes running on cheap graphical processing units, but also on the largest computers in the Solar system. He is concerned about the impact his research has on the environment and realizes very well that so far we know, Earth is the only habitable planet in the Galaxy.
Agenda
2022
- January 27 | Charlie Gardner | From Publications to Public Actions: The Role of Scientists in a Planetary Emergency
- May 9 | Simon Portegies Zwart | The Ecological Impact of High-performance Computing in Science
- June 9 | Joyeeta Gupta | Climate Change, Environmental Justice and Fossil Fuels
2021
- May 6 | Paul Behrens | Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science
- June 17 | Jaap van der Stel | Klimaatcrisis vergt aandacht voor onze mentale gezondheid
- September 16 | Christel van Eck | Climate Communication: from Awareness to Action
- October 21 | Frank Biermann | Climate Engineering: Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis?
- November 18 | Maartje Janse | Climate activism – A historical perspective
- December 16 | Matthijs Schouten | Who do we think we are? A new perspective on humans and the natural world.
About ‘Future Scientists’
By now, most people are aware of the seriousness of climate change and the ecological crisis (e.g., see this 2019 EU Survey). However, awareness by itself may not lead to behavioral change, let alone system and cultural change.
In the Future Scientists webinar series, we explore how to go forward in the decisive decade to come. As scholars and scientists, what is our role in contributing towards the “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” (IPCC) required to stay below 1,5 °C of warming? What system or cultural changes need to be discussed more widely, and how to best communicate that? Lastly, taking a more introspective view, how do we cope with emotions coming from the barrage of “bad news” regarding the state of our planet?
