The simulation was conducted using 9,000 computing nodes of the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Experts say this could be the first true step in finally unveiling dark matter.
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00:00You've likely seen simulations of our solar system, even our galaxy, the Milky Way, or
00:08clusters of galaxies and nebulas.
00:10However, you've never seen anything like this, a first-ever supercomputer simulation
00:15of the entire universe.
00:17The simulation was conducted using 9,000 computing nodes of the Frontier Supercomputer at Oak
00:22Ridge National Laboratory.
00:24The results are staggering in their cosmic beauty, but this isn't just for show.
00:28I'd say this could help us better understand the elusive dark matter.
00:32The universe is comprised of atomic matter, or all of the conventional matter we have
00:35investigated so far, and dark matter.
00:38Dark matter is still yet to be confirmed, but it is likely responsible for all of the
00:41gravitational interactions in the universe that cannot be attributed to the mass of atomic
00:45matter.
00:46The simulation, called Exasky, not only effectively simulates the physical space of the universe,
00:51but also provides a look through space-time, each section a snapshot of billions of years
00:55of expansion.
00:56And that's why this simulation is just the first step, with the researchers saying that
01:00the first section they're investigating represents a volume of space which measures
01:04over 311,000 cubic megaparsecs, or what they add is just 0.001% of the volume of the supercomputer's
01:12entire simulation.