According to several science professors, video game consoles are being seen as an affordable alternative to more conventional supercomputers. It’s no mystery that the entertainment industry is the leading drive in the advancement of computer technology, specifically in the field of producing the highest-quality computer-generated graphics. Many professors claim that by reconfiguring the console’s processors that are usually used for generating such graphics, it can be used to run complex calculations for other purposes.

“A single high-precision simulation can sometimes cost more than 5,000 hours on the TeraGrid supercomputers. For the same cost, you can build your own supercomputer using PS3s. It works just as well, has no long wait times and can be used over and over again, indefinitely.”

This concept is hardly new in that over eight years ago, fear was spread that the then-new PlayStation2 might be used to control missile strikes. Luckily, that theory has since been supposedly debunked, but it’s hardly impossible. Just think, the PS2 could had a historic part in 9/11 or other heinous terrorist plots.

That silliness aside, it’s always fascinating to see engineers at work, turning what we’d consider little more than a toy into a fantastic tool. Just a couple months ago, geeks all over fell enamored with the various projects that Johnny Lee has cranked out using the Wii. It’s comforting to know that while thousands of people who own a PS3 are least likely to cure cancer, there are one or two that just might.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2008 at 4:59 pm and is filed under Games, Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.