Sun Microsystems and the Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas have developed a supercomputer named Maverick that is poised to improve and possibly even save lives. Maverick is certainly larger than most computers, but not as large as you might expect. It is only the size of a refrigerator. But in a tribute to today’s technology, Maverick packs a lot of punch into that mid-size package. Maverick is powered by 64 UltraSparc 4 microprocessors which were developed by Sun Microsystems. It runs Sun’s version of the Unix operating system. This immense computing power will allow Maverick to analyze vast amounts of data.

Maverick will be used to more accurately predict severe weather conditions. This use alone may save lives by leading to better preparation and faster response time when severe weather conditions are in motion. This year we have seen not only the devastation that Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan caused, but also the inconvenience to millions who were evacuated in areas that were luckily left unscathed. Next year Maverick will be ready to make more accurate predictions. It will also be used for flood modeling, earthquake engineering and homeland security. Maverick can create real-time simulations of national disasters and security threats making preparations and responses easier and more accurate.