EAGER: Kinetic Computing Sculpture: A functional parallel cluster of Raspberry Pi computers that inspire computational thinking

如果没有并行计算思维，大多数现代科学发现都是不可行的(例如，对人类基因组进行测序，确认希格斯玻色子)。为了在早期(K-12)招募年轻人加入劳动力大军，并鼓励政府继续投资，并行计算领域必须不断教育所有年龄段的非计算机科学家，使他们认识到发现和利用新能力的创新的重要性。不幸的是，教育外行了解并行系统的重要性是充满挑战的，并行系统的规模和复杂性呈指数级增长，变化迅速。跨大型并行或分布式系统的数据和计算的分布是由复杂的计算机软件执行的。虽然使用的算法和系统可能需要数年时间才能完善，除了二进制数据包和日志，或许还有系统的嗡嗡声，但几乎没有传输的迹象。只有消息灵通的个人才能了解大型并行或分布式系统上发生的事件的重要性。在这个跨学科的项目中，PI正在探索根本不同的方法来提高我们教育非计算机科学家(例如，学生、K-12、资金决策者、老年人等)的能力。关于并行计算的重要性和复杂性。这种变革性的方法将创建并行或分布式系统与可视化计算的机制结合在一起。结合计算机科学家、教育工作者和艺术家的专业知识，PI正在设计和建造一组树莓PI计算机，在一个视觉上引人注目的、动态的雕塑中。每个计算设备连接到安装在铝制结构上的紧凑的伺服机构，该结构将对在系统上运行的并行程序的计算和数据移动做出反应。PI正在设计展示，允许参观者以交互方式选择并查看计算机和计算科学家每天做出的各种并行计算选择的效果。将对拟议方法的有效性进行评估。

Without parallel computational thinking most modern scientific discoveries are impracticable (e.g. sequencing the human genome, confirmation of the Higgs boson). To recruit young minds at an early age (K-12) into the workforce and to encourage governments to continue investment, the parallel computing field must constantly educate non-computer scientists of all ages as to the importance of innovation that uncovers and exploits new capabilities. Unfortunately, educating laypersons as to the importance of parallel systems that grow exponentially large and complicated and change rapidly is wrought with challenges. Distribution of data and computation across a large parallel or distributed system is carried out by complex computer software. While the algorithms and systems used may have taken years to perfect, other than binary data packets and logs, and perhaps the hum of a system, there is little indication of the transmissions. Only a deeply informed individual is privy to the significance of the events taking place on a large parallel or distributed system.In this interdisciplinary project, the PIs are exploring radically different ways to improve our ability to educate non-computer scientists (e.g. students, K-12, funding decision makers, elderly, etc.) as to the importance and sophistication of parallel computation. This transformative approach combines the creation of a parallel or distributed system with mechanisms to visualize computation. With the combined expertise of computer scientists, educators, and artists, the PIs are designing and building a cluster of Raspberry Pi computers in a visually compelling, kinetic sculpture. Each computing device is attached to a compact servo mechanism fitted to an aluminum structure that will react to both computation and data movement of parallel programs running on the system. The PIs are designing displays that allow visitors to the sculpture to interactively select and view the effects of various parallel computation choices that computer and computational scientists make every day. The effectiveness of the proposed approach will be evaluated.