It is my perception that researchers are increasingly adopting computer modeling and simulation in their work. And as communities get more familiar with their respective tools of the day, the next generation of tools is going to require 10 times more computing power due to tackling a more diverse set of variables when available computing power enables it.
I picture, for example, an implantable medical device that has used computer modeling to predict that the device will not introduce problems with blood clotting, and yet to create this model, many assumptions are made and values are fixed. And so I picture the day when the device creators are on the witness stand at a malpractice lawsuit testifying that they only modeled “the average person”. And made no effort to specifically model the patient or even broad category of patient in which the device was implanted.
Did you model an obese individual? Did you model someone with both hypertension and high cholesterol? Did you model a person when dehydrated and over exerted on a hot Summer day? No, we only ran the one model of the average person. If you get 3 or 4 variables where previously fixed values were used, you quickly find yourself with 1000 times more combinations to review with your model.
What do you think? Are we on the cusp of a new age in scientific computing?
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