Latest news with #UniversityofBristol
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Science
- Express Tribune
Isambard-AI, UK's most powerful supercomputer, goes live in Bristol
A supercomputer, which is now the most powerful in the UK, has been fully activated in Bristol. The Isambard-AI machine, a major leap forward in the country's technological capabilities, was launched by Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, as part of the government's fresh push towards expanding artificial intelligence (AI) resources, as reported by BBC. Kyle officially 'flicked the switch' on the machine during an announcement that also unveiled new AI-related initiatives. The Isambard-AI supercomputer will join a similar machine in Cambridge, called Dawn, as part of the UK's AI Research Resource, which will serve as a vital tool for public sector projects. The supercomputers are expected to aid in tackling critical issues like reducing NHS waiting lists and developing innovative solutions for climate change, despite the known high energy consumption of AI systems. Alongside these announcements, the government revealed plans for substantial investments in AI Growth Zones across Scotland and Wales, aiming to boost regional economies and expand AI's reach nationwide. The Isambard-AI machine had already been involved in a medical project earlier this year, contributing to vaccine development. Now fully operational, it is expected to support a broad range of public sector initiatives. As its name implies, Isambard-AI is a supercomputer designed to complete tasks at an unprecedented speed, utilising thousands of processing units to handle larger datasets faster than traditional computers. This extraordinary capability will enhance the UK's public AI computing infrastructure. The government has announced a training initiative aimed at preparing a million students in AI and providing broad economic training for 7.5 million individuals over the coming years. Isambard-AI, using more than 5,400 Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, was developed by the University of Bristol with public funding, as reported by BBC. It ranks 11th in the world in terms of processing power, according to the most recent Top 500 list of supercomputers. In contrast, Dawn at the University of Cambridge employs over 1,000 Intel chips. David Hogan, Nvidia's European vice president, described Isambard-AI as a "truly transformational machine" but stressed that it is just the beginning of a much broader AI strategy. To bolster these efforts, researchers, academics, and tech leaders, including Google DeepMind's Pushmeet Kohli and the Royal Society's Alison Noble, are collaborating on a national AI strategy set to be unveiled later this year. The UK government believes that further investment in supercomputers will help position the country as a leader in AI development, challenging the global race for dominance in the sector. This move is also aimed at enhancing the UK's competitiveness in the field, with global companies eager to secure the best talent and resources in the AI space.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nvidia and University of Bristol debut UK's fastest AI supercomputer in sovereign AI push
Nvidia (NVDA) and the University of Bristol debuted the UK's Isambard-AI supercomputer on Thursday, part of Nvidia's push into so-called sovereign AI, or AI supercomputers built for individual nations. The fastest supercomputer in the country and one of the most energy-efficient supercomputers globally, the Isambard-AI supercomputer combines 5,448 Nvidia Grace Hopper superchips through a series of liquid-cooled HPE server cabinets packed with 440 GPUs each. The system is meant to perform research on everything from materials science to drug discovery to large language models designed for UK-specific languages such as Welsh. Impressively, according to University of Bristol professor Simon McIntosh-Smith, the entire system came together in less than two years. Normally, it takes more than three years to complete similar projects, McIntosh-Smith, who also heads the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), told Yahoo Finance. Researchers and companies will need to apply for access to the Isambard-AI supercomputer via the UK government's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. Supercomputers, however, don't just run individual tasks at once. Depending on the time of day, such systems can run a host of different experiments at the same time, helping to improve overall efficiency While the Isambard-AI supercomputer is powerful as far as research computers go, it's relatively small compared to the massive datacenter-scale systems companies like Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta (META), and Microsoft (MSFT) currently run. Those warehouse-sized computers require gigawatts, or 1 billion watts, of electricity to power tens of thousands of GPUs. The Isambard-AI supercomputer, meanwhile, uses 5 megawatts, or 5 million watts. According to McIntosh-Smith, the team at BriCS chose to use a liquid cooling solution rather than traditional air cooling with fans to keep the Isambard-AI from overheating, because it allowed them to pack more GPUs into a smaller space while improving overall energy efficiency. The university is also working on a pilot program that will use the hot wastewater from the supercomputer to heat campus facilities and eventually nearby homes and businesses. While the University of Bristol officially flipped the switch on Isambard-AI on Thursday, McIntosh-Smith said some researchers have already been running experiments on a test version of the system. Those include work on vaccines for Alzheimer's disease and image recognition to help machines better identify skin cancer. The Isambard-AI supercomputer is just one example of Nvidia's push into sovereign AI, which represents a new revenue stream for the company beyond individual tech companies. In May, CEO Jensen Huang attended an event held in Saudi Arabia where President Trump announced that he would allow Nvidia to sell thousands of GPUs to companies within the country. The administration also set up a plan to sell hundreds of thousands of chips to the United Arab Emirates, but officials are holding off on moving forward with the deal over concerns China could gain access to the technology, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. And in June, Nvidia touted its expansion in Europe, announcing that companies across France, the UK, Germany, and Italy will build out or expand on their AI infrastructure. "Every industrial revolution begins with infrastructure. AI is the essential infrastructure of our time, just as electricity and the internet once were," Huang said in a statement at the time. "With bold leadership from Europe's governments and industries, AI will drive transformative innovation and prosperity for generations to come." The US still accounts for the majority of Nvidia's sales, making up $61.2 billion of the company's $130.4 billion in total revenue in its latest fiscal year. Taiwan and China made up $20.5 billion and $17.1 billion, respectively. Singapore saw $23.6 billion in sales, but Nvidia said the majority of those shipments are simply invoiced in the country and shipped elsewhere. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Olympian teams up with researchers to make PE kit more inclusive for teen girls
Tess Howard, who competed for Team GB in the Paris 2024 games, has joined physical activity and diet specialist Dr Alice Porter to make school sports clothing fitter for purpose. New research has shown that secondary school-aged girls would feel less self-conscious and more able to fully take part in PE lessons if they had more choice over their school sports kit. Tess Howard (centre) introducing Inclusive Sportswear, a charity she started to champion inclusivity in sport, to a group of schoolchildren (Inclusive Sportswear/PA) The study involved interviews and focus groups with 12 to 13-year-old girls and PE teachers from mixed-sex secondary schools in England. Its findings also revealed girls with lower self-esteem may be less likely to join in their PE lessons if compulsory items of clothing felt too tight or revealing. Dr Alice Porter, from the University of Bristol, said: 'We all have memories of our school PE kits and whether they were appealing, comfy, and warm enough or not to wear. 'Previous research has found many girls feel uncomfortable wearing their PE kits. 'Our study looked at how PE kits affect how girls feel about their bodies, how much they are involved in, and their attitude towards school sports. 'Our findings clearly evidence that when girls don't have any choice over their PE uniform, this can be a deterrent to their participation, especially for girls who feel self-conscious and are lacking in self-confidence.' By analysing pupils' lived experience and insights, the researchers also identified possible solutions to address the related issues, especially for teenage girls who may be more affected by school PE kit rules. Results showed girls want to choose the types of bottoms, such as leggings, jogging bottoms, or shorts, they wear for PE. They also want the option to wear additional layers, so they can cover up parts of their bodies they feel self-conscious about. The research recommends that PE uniforms should be offered in a range of styles to suit all pupils and should not be gender-labelled for girls or boys, so irrespectively they feel empowered to choose what suits them best. Changing rooms were also a big talking point for girls in the study, with many feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious changing for PE. Dr Alice Porter has led the research into girls' PE kit at the University of Bristol (University of Bristol) A possible solution identified was for schools to allow pupils to wear their PE kit all day on the days they have PE lessons, an approach which girls and PE staff study participants widely supported. The research has been used to develop free guidance and support for schools nationally on how to develop comfortable and inclusive PE kit policies and practices. The initiative, called the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform, has been designed by Ms Howard. 'We're delighted to be working with University of Bristol researchers to support our work because PE kit should never be the reason someone stops playing sport or feels unable to fully participate,' the hockey star said. 'Kit is a public health issue, and it's a barrier that can be lifted. Far too often, traditional sports kit policies inadequately support the diverse needs of pupils and forget the purpose of sport – to have fun. 'The research findings have provided powerful insights, which we have used to create practical advice and solutions for schools.' – The study, A qualitative study in UK secondary schools exploring how PE uniform policies influence body image attitudes, and PE engagement among adolescent girls, is published in the journal BMJ Open.
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Who are Sulaiman Isa Khan and Kasim Khan? Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan's sons who may join politics, they live in…, mother is famous…
Who are Sulaiman Isa Khan and Kasim Khan? Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan's sons who may join politics, they live in..., mother is famous... For many years, the Sharif and Bhutto families have played the biggest roles in Pakistan's politics. But now, on August 5, things might take a new turn. The sons of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sulaiman Isa Khan (29) and Kasim Khan (26) could be stepping into the spotlight. So far, both brothers have stayed away from politics and have been living quietly in London. But with their father still in Adiala Jail for the last two years, they are now planning to lead a massive protest in Lahore, asking for his release. Their mother, Jemima Goldsmith, has said that the current government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, is not letting her sons talk to their father at all. 'My children are not allowed to speak on the phone to their father… Pakistan's government has now said if they go there to try to see him, they too will be arrested and put behind bars,' she shared on social media. It was only a few months ago, in May, that Imran Khan's sons finally spoke out about their father's arrest. Through social media and interviews, they asked people around the world to put pressure on the Pakistani government to free him. Who is Sulaiman Isa Khan Sulaiman Isa Khan is the older son of Imran Khan, the famous cricketer who later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Jemima Goldsmith, a British writer and charity worker from a very well-known family. As per media reports, Sulaiman was born on November 18, 1996, in London. After his parents got divorced in 2004, he continued living in the UK with his mother and younger brother Kasim. Even though he comes from a famous family and has been in the spotlight since childhood, Suleman prefers to stay out of the public eye. His father's side of the family is from Mianwali, Pakistan. His grandfather, Ikramullah Khan Niazi, was a respected engineer. On his mother's side, Suleman is connected to the powerful Goldsmith family in Britain. His grandfather, Sir James Goldsmith, was a wealthy businessman, and his uncle, Zac Goldsmith, is active in UK politics. Who is Kasim Khan? Kasim Khan is the younger son of Imran Khan and Jemima Goldsmith. Born on April 10, 1999, Kasim has lived most of his life in the UK, far away from the noise of Pakistani politics. Even though he belongs to a very famous family, Kasim has kept a quiet and private life. He stayed out of the media spotlight and focused on his studies. He went to the University of Bristol in England, where he studied Islamic History. Recently, things have changed, and Kasim is now starting to appear more in the public eye, especially because of his father's ongoing legal troubles. Like his older brother, Sulaiman, Kasim is now being seen as someone who might play a role in speaking up for their father.
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Olympian teams up with researchers to make PE kit more inclusive for teen girls
Tess Howard, who competed for Team GB in the Paris 2024 games, has joined physical activity and diet specialist Dr Alice Porter to make school sports clothing fitter for purpose. New research has shown that secondary school-aged girls would feel less self-conscious and more able to fully take part in PE lessons if they had more choice over their school sports kit. The study involved interviews and focus groups with 12 to 13-year-old girls and PE teachers from mixed-sex secondary schools in England. Its findings also revealed girls with lower self-esteem may be less likely to join in their PE lessons if compulsory items of clothing felt too tight or revealing. Dr Alice Porter, from the University of Bristol, said: 'We all have memories of our school PE kits and whether they were appealing, comfy, and warm enough or not to wear. 'Previous research has found many girls feel uncomfortable wearing their PE kits. 'Our study looked at how PE kits affect how girls feel about their bodies, how much they are involved in, and their attitude towards school sports. 'Our findings clearly evidence that when girls don't have any choice over their PE uniform, this can be a deterrent to their participation, especially for girls who feel self-conscious and are lacking in self-confidence.' By analysing pupils' lived experience and insights, the researchers also identified possible solutions to address the related issues, especially for teenage girls who may be more affected by school PE kit rules. Results showed girls want to choose the types of bottoms, such as leggings, jogging bottoms, or shorts, they wear for PE. They also want the option to wear additional layers, so they can cover up parts of their bodies they feel self-conscious about. The research recommends that PE uniforms should be offered in a range of styles to suit all pupils and should not be gender-labelled for girls or boys, so irrespectively they feel empowered to choose what suits them best. Changing rooms were also a big talking point for girls in the study, with many feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious changing for PE. A possible solution identified was for schools to allow pupils to wear their PE kit all day on the days they have PE lessons, an approach which girls and PE staff study participants widely supported. The research has been used to develop free guidance and support for schools nationally on how to develop comfortable and inclusive PE kit policies and practices. The initiative, called the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform, has been designed by Ms Howard. 'We're delighted to be working with University of Bristol researchers to support our work because PE kit should never be the reason someone stops playing sport or feels unable to fully participate,' the hockey star said. 'Kit is a public health issue, and it's a barrier that can be lifted. Far too often, traditional sports kit policies inadequately support the diverse needs of pupils and forget the purpose of sport – to have fun. 'The research findings have provided powerful insights, which we have used to create practical advice and solutions for schools.' – The study, A qualitative study in UK secondary schools exploring how PE uniform policies influence body image attitudes, and PE engagement among adolescent girls, is published in the journal BMJ Open.
