Environmental Research

IN August 1966, the Computer Board was set up under the chairmanship of Professor B. H. Flowers to carry out, on the basis of planned development, the proposals for providing computers in British universities and research councils in the light of the Flowers Report of ,January 1966, and for ensuring that the facilities provided were fully used. The five Board members are Professor C. E. H. Bawn of Liverpool University, Professor Gordon Black of the National Computing Centre, Professor D. J. Black of Edinburgh University, Mr J. K. Steward of ICI, and Lord Halsbury; Mr L. S. Rutterford is secretary to the Board. In accordance with the recommendations of the Flowers Report, which suggasted the expenditure of a total of £17·68 million over a period of five years for the provision of computer hardware in universities, a regional centre is now being set up in Edinburgh. This is one of the three suggested centres-London, Manchester and Edinburgh-at which large computers with special facilities are to be installed for the general use of universities in the areas. The concept of a multiple access time sharing system at Edinburgh is, however, an additional feature which was not visualized at the time of the report. In comparison with the actual cost of the hardware, additional costs of consoles and software to furnish the multiple access systems are small and will not represent a major item of expenditure above that recommended by the Working Group. The University of Edinburgh will soon be taking delivery of a British computer, the English Electric 4/75. Several agencies have contributed to the cost of the computer and the software: these include the Computer Board, the Ministry of Technology and various research councils, particularly the Agricultural Research Council. The cost has not yet been settled, but the total so far committed is about three-quarters of a million pounds. Development of the system is being shared by the university and the manufacturers. Whether or not multi-access systems will be established at the two other centres has not yet been decided. The University of Newcastle uoon Tyne has already taken delivery of an American IBM 360/67 multi-access computing system which was installed in October and is currently undArgoing tests. When operational, use of the machine will be shared by Newcastle and Durham Universities. £575,000 of the total cost of the computer was provided by a grant from the Computer Board. Communication terminals will be available in various departments of both universities and satellite computflrs can be attachAd to the central computer. Research workers in two universities are developing their own multi-access facilities by building on to existing computers already at their disposal. Thus a smaller computer providing these facilities has been developed at Edinburgh University under Professor D. Michie for application to medical research work. This is based on the Elliott 41/20 model which was delivered NATURE, VOL. 216. DECEMBER 9, 1967