An electronic device that can receive a set of instructions, or program, and
then carry out this program by performing calculations on numerical data or by
manipulating other forms of information.
The modern world of high technology could not have come about except for the
development of the computer. Different types and sizes of computers find uses
throughout society in the storage and handling of data, from secret governmental
files to banking transactions to private household accounts. Computers have
opened up a new era in manufacturing through the techniques of automation, and
they have enhanced modern communication systems. They are essential tools in
almost every field of research and applied technology, from constructing models
of the universe to producing tomorrow’s weather reports, and their use has in
itself opened up new areas of conjecture. Database services and computer
networks make available a great variety of information sources. The same
advanced techniques also make possible invasions of personal and business
privacy. Computer crime has become one of the many risks that are part of the
price of modern technology.
The Cray-1 Supercomputer (designed by Seymour Cray of Cray Research, Eagan,
Minnesota) was the first computer capable of performing over 100 million
floating-point calculations per second. Of the many technological problems that
had to be solved, one of the most important was how to remove the heat generated
by the high-speed logic. This was accomplished by mounting the circuits on
vertical plates that were cooled by a freon refrigeration system. Although
faster machines have now been built, the Cray-1 continues to be used for
mathematical studies of very complex problems, such as speech analysis, weather
forecasting, and fundamental questions in physics and chemistry. The Cray-1 also
leaves its mark as the informal unit of measure for newer supercomputers, some
of which are now projected to equal 1,000 ‘Crays’.
Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing
The amount of wind pressure on a car is simulated by computers with
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) programs. Red
indicates high wind pressures and blue indicates low pressures.