Laboratory hosts supercomputing conference

Contact: Todd Hanson, tahanson@lanl.gov, (505) 665-2085

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., June 13, 2001 -- The Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars are hosting a major conference this week to explore the future of computing and its impact on society.

Supercomputing and the Human Endeavor will take place June 13 through 15, 2001, at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

"Computing has spawned a major scientific revolution, and the time is right for serious consideration of the social and ethical issues arising from this revolution," said Stephen M. Younger, Los Alamos' senior associate Laboratory director for national security.

Conference participants will discuss such topics as the potential of supercomputers to provide insight into the fundamental processes of life and stimulate the development of a knowledge economy.

Among speakers at the multidisciplinary conference are Los Alamos Director John Browne; former Congressman Lee Hamilton, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center; James Billington, the Librarian of Congress; James Schlesinger, chairman of the Mitre Corp. and former Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy; Bernadine Healy, president of the American Red Cross; Michael Capellas, chairman and CEO of Compaq Computer Corp.; and Pulitzer-Prize historian Richard Rhodes.

Some of the planned presentations include:

• The Influence of Supercomputing on Cherished Beliefs by Bishop Ronald Haines, former Bishop of Washington;
• Agent-Based Simulation to Model Social and Economic Outcomes by Dr. Edward Knapp, former president of The Santa Fe Institute;
• Transforming the Economy through Supercomputing by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.;
• Utilization of Supercomputer Technology to Address Human Needs, by Dr. John Mendelsohn, president of University of Texas' Anderson Cancer Center.

Although attendance at the conference is by invitation only and seating is limited, interested media should contact Sharon Coleman Jones of the Woodrow Wilson Center at (202) 691-4016.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.