#IEEE Spectrum

All articles tagged with "IEEE Spectrum"

Restored Images Show the 1945 Trinity Nuclear Test In Vivid Detail

Restored Trinity photographs offer a sharper view of the moment the nuclear age began

An excerpt from a new illustrated history highlights restored photographs of the Trinity test, revealing the scale of the effort to capture the first atomic detonation on film.

Key Takeaways

IEEE Spectrum highlights restored photographs from a new illustrated history of the Trinity test.
The excerpt describes Berlyn Brixner’s role photographing the detonation from a bunker.

DT Editorial Team·May 15, 2026·via spectrum.ieee.org

ENIAC at 80 Shows How Computing Was Built by Human Craft as Much as Hardware

An 80th-anniversary reflection on ENIAC revisits early digital computing not only as engineering history, but as an act of patient human design and operation.

Key Takeaways

ENIAC turns 80 this year as a foundational milestone in digital computing.
A new reflection emphasizes the human craft involved in programming and operating the machine.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 3, 2026·via spectrum.ieee.org

Why AI's Number-Crunching Shortcuts Fall Apart for Scientific Computing

The explosion of custom number formats designed to speed up AI workloads has created a temptation to apply those same shortcuts to scientific computing. But as IEEE Spectrum reports, the tricks that work for neural networks can produce catastrophically wrong results in physics and engineering simulations.

Key Takeaways

AI number formats sacrifice precision for speed, which neural networks tolerate
Scientific simulations require accuracy — small rounding errors can cascade into meaningless results

DT Editorial Team·Feb 25, 2026·5 min read·via spectrum.ieee.org