Instead of just looking at numbers, scientists can display supercomputer output in a visual form using high quality computer graphics. Through computer graphics, researchers are often better able to comprehend large quantities of data and notice subtle trends. At Jefferson, we are using the library called OpenGL Graphics to provide graphics visualization access for our students. Color is a very valuable tool in graphics visualization. It can be used to enhance images or provide emphasis to details that might not be readily apparent.
Engineers can better view air currents and turbulence around new car designs with color enhancement.
Architects can look for regions of material stress in structures that might fatigue under heavy use. Using similar techniques, anthropologists can even investigate the interior of ancient mummies without ever unwrapping them. 3.0 Supercomputing Applications for High School Students Students and teachers at the secondary school level should realize that many of the previously mentioned applications using supercomputers involve huge projects with teams of scientists, technicians, and programmers. The mathematics being used in some of these investigations is often far beyond the scope of a typical high school curriculum. However, there are computational science techniques that can be used to augment the typical high school program.