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Scientists use PlayStation 3 to unlock the secrets of the universe 科學家用遊戲機揭開宇宙奧秘
Monday, Feb 25, 2008,Page 15
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A PlayStation 3 console is seen in New York on Feb. 22, 2007.
二ＯＯ七年二月二十二日一台在紐約展示的PlayStation 3相片。 照片：美聯社
PHOTO: AP
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Researchers are turning the Sony PlayStation 3 console and other gaming hardware into low-cost supercomputers. They're using the hardware to model drug molecules and black holes, the weekly New Scientist says.
The PS3 console uses a Cell chip made by IBM, Sony and Toshiba. It can run on the Linux operating system.
The chip is prized by chemists and physicists because they can use it for their work. The calculations needed to make graphics for games are similar to those used to simulate reactions between particles.
University of Massachusetts astrophysicist Gaurav Khanna has strung together 16 PS consoles. He uses them to simulate gravity waves that occur when two black holes collide, the British magazine says.
By using the C programming language to run the chip, University of Illinois chemist Todd Martinez found he could run calculations 130 times faster than on an ordinary PC.
His is now calculating the energy of the electrons in 1,000 atoms, which add up to the size of a small protein.
"We can now do the things we were killing ourselves to do," Martinez told New Scientist.
Another scientific tool taken from the world of gaming is the Wii hand-held remote control. It contains a gadget that can sense which direction it is being moved.
Surgeons have been using Wii to improve their operating techniques. Neurologists have turned to it to measure movement problems in patients who have had a stroke or have Parkinson's disease.(AFP)
《新科學週刊》指出，研究員正在著手將新力的PlayStation 3 和其他電玩主機改造成成本較低廉的超級電腦，他們利用這些機體來模擬藥物分子和黑洞的反應。
PS3主機的處理器採用了IBM、新力和東芝合力研發的Cell晶片，它能執行Linux作業系統。
該處理器被化學家和物理學家視為瑰寶，因為它能夠支援他們的運算系統；處理遊戲畫面所需的運算效能和模擬粒子間反應的計算相當類似。
該英國雜誌指出，麻州大學的天體物理學家高瑞．卡納串聯了十六台PS主機，模擬兩個黑洞撞擊時會產生的重力波。
伊利諾伊州立大學的化學教授陶德．馬丁尼茲發現，在此處理器上以C程式語言執行運算，比他用一台普通電腦要快了一百三十倍。
他現在能計算出一個小型蛋白質大小的一千個原子中的電子能量。
馬丁尼茲對《新科學週刊》說：「我們現在能做到我們以前必須拼了命才能完成的事。」
Wii的遙控手把是另一項被運用在科學界的電玩器具，這支手把能感應操縱者遙控的方向。
外科醫生已將Wii的技術應用在改良手術技巧上；神經科醫師也求助於這項技術來測量中風或帕金森式症患者的行動問題。(法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）
| TODAY'S WORDS 今日單字 |
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1. graphic n.
電腦繪圖 (dian4 nao3 hui4 tu2)
例: The graphics on the Xbox are very good.
(Xbox的遊戲畫面很好。)
2. particle n.
粒子 (li4 zi5)
例: Protons and neutrons are both nuclear particles.
(質子和中子都是原子核中的粒子。)
3. black hole n.
黑洞 (hei1 dong4)
例: Black holes can't be viewed directly.
(我們無法用肉眼看見黑洞。)
4. electron n.
電子 (dian4 zi5)
例: Electrons have a negative charge.
(電子帶有負電荷。)
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| SAY WHAT? 說說看 |
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killing oneself 拼了命地...
When used figuratively, the phrase killing oneself means to work very hard. For example, "I can't believe that Jim got to bed at 11pm last night. I was killing myself to get our report done."
Another morbid phrase that's used to describe something exaggerated is to die of laughter, which means to laugh a great deal. For example, "Where does Horace come up with those jokes? I almost died of laughter last night listening to him."
「 killing oneself 」這個片語比喻某人付出很多心血，例如：「我不敢相信吉姆昨晚十一點就上床睡覺了，我可是拼了命地趕我們的報告」。
另一個提到死字的誇張化片語是「die of laughter」，意思是笑死人了，例如：「海洛斯的那些笑話都是哪來的啊？我昨晚快被他笑死了」。 |
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| OUT LOUD 對話練習 |
Rocky: You're going down, Sam.
Sam: No, I'm going to take you out before the next level.
Rocky: You're dreaming. I'm going to frag you.
Sam: Think again, Rocky. Your time is up.
Lucy: Will you two be quiet! I want to check my e-mail in peace and not have to listen to all this weird computer talk.
洛基：你慘了，山姆。
山姆：才怪，我會在下一關前撂倒你。
洛基：別作夢了，我要把你幹掉。
山姆：再想想看吧，洛基，你沒時間了。
露西：你們兩個別吵了！我想安安靜靜地收個信，不想聽到你們那些電玩的瘋言瘋語。
frag 在電玩中擊敗某人
Frag is a term used by gamers. It means about the same as "kill," but a person who is fragged is usually able to come back to life.
「frag」是電動玩家使用的辭彙，和「殺死」其他玩家的意思差不多，但是被擊敗的玩家通常能夠復活繼續玩。 |
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