Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site astrovax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!akgua!astrovax!wls From: wls@astrovax.UUCP (William L. Sebok) Newsgroups: net.astro.expert Subject: Re: astronomical computing Message-ID: <150@astrovax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Nov-83 00:44:23 EST Article-I.D.: astrovax.150 Posted: Tue Nov 29 00:44:23 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 30-Nov-83 03:05:31 EST References: <270@kpno.UUCP> Organization: Princeton Univ. Astrophysics Lines: 34 > Since net.astro.expert has just magically appeared this morning ... For me it didn't just just magically appear but took more than a month of work to bring it into existence. Whew... Now it is up to the rest of you. Enjoy. > Should a national astronomy supercomputing center be set up? > ..... What priority should such a > program have compared to the dessimination of VAX class computers (for both > data reduction/analysis and theoretical work) to university > departments and research groups? ... I definitely think that Vax class machines should be available wherever they are needed. Beyond that I am not sure. I know of a number of projects under- way here that could use heavy computing power. There are many hydrodynamic codes and such running that could easily go to a finer grid. This poor VAX 750 knows what it is like to constantly have several of these programs constantly running in the background. > Are astronomy graduate students getting a proper grounding in > software engineering? ... Should we make it > our business to teach students about coding standards, structured > programming and software tools or do we "let them pick it up on their > own" much as we expect many to pick up electronics or machine shop > skills? I could have used some training on electronics or machine shop. I guess one always has the problem that instruction time is limited and adding more emphasis on one thing means taking away emphasis on something else. I definitely think that undergraduates should be required to take one or more computer courses. Some times I feel that a few professors could use it too. -- Bill Sebok Princeton University, Astrophysics {allegra,akgua,burl,cbosgd,decvax,ihnp4,kpno,princeton}!astrovax!wls