BSC showcases the computational power of MareNostrum 5 at MNACTEC

13 November 2024

The exhibition features two scientific and technical installations that interactively explore supercomputing’s past, present, and future

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center–Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) inaugurated the exhibition “Catalonia: Modelling the Future with Supercomputing” at the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC). The exhibition invites the public to discover how Catalonia is "adding its grain of sand" in the field of supercomputing to address global challenges and position itself as a world leader. Thus, thanks to funding from the Government of Catalonia and with the MareNostrum 5 supercomputer at the heart of the exhibition, the BSC demonstrates its commitment to building a more humane and sustainable society.

The exhibition features two scientific and technical installations that interactively explore supercomputing’s past, present, and future. In "The Eternal Obsession," a giant abacus invites us to think about the advancement of knowledge, while "In a Second" Second’ a pool of sand symbolizes the impressive capacity of MareNostrum 5 to perform billions of calculations in a single instant, visually demonstrating the power and speed of the technology.

This screen-free approach, where natural materials such as sand and stones are the protagonists, allows visitors to understand the complexity of supercomputing in an accessible way.

With this travelling exhibition, which will be on display at the MNACTEC until 7 January 2025, the BSC reinforces its mission to disseminate the impact of supercomputing, positioning Catalonia as a pioneer in this field to address the major contemporary challenges and build a sustainable and innovative future.