Threads Dev Interviews are a platform where I find developers and interview them directly on Threads. If you’re interested in being interviewed, feel free to let me know on Threads. It’s important to note that the views expressed in these interviews are personal and do not represent the opinions of the interviewee’s employer.
In a recent interview on Threads, Derek Gaston (@friedmud) shared his experience as a Supercomputer Programmer. He explained that his background in Computer Science from the University of Missouri Rolla, an engineering school, led him to realize the potential of applying good CS to engineering problems. He gained practical experience through internships with automotive firms and Sandia National Lab, where he worked on massively parallel mod-sim. At the age of 27, he had the opportunity to start a new simulation framework, now known as mooseframework.org. This open-source framework is used globally for massively parallel multiphysics simulations, including nuclear reactor simulations.
Derek provided technical details about MOOSE, describing it as a C++ framework that accelerates the development of multiphysics simulation tools. It utilizes MPI+Threading hybrid parallelism and supports finite-element and finite-volume numerical methods. MOOSE allows users to specify partial differential equations they want to solve through C++ plugins, and then uses supercomputers to solve them. The framework is widely used for simulating various fields such as nuclear reactors, geothermal energy, batteries, earthquake prediction, and more. It also includes a range of built-in physics modules for heat conduction, solid mechanics, fluid flow, and others. Derek also highlighted the importance of adhering to the Nuclear Quality Assurance Level 1 (NQA-1) software quality standard in their development process, which involves running extensive tests on a dedicated 2500 core cluster.
When asked about the possibility of running MOOSE in a small lab or at home, Derek confirmed that it is feasible, as the framework runs well on laptops and beefy workstations, depending on the size and complexity of the model.
The name “MOOSE” was chosen deliberately to reflect its purpose as a Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment. Derek and his colleagues brainstormed different options and settled on MOOSE, naming the MOOSE-based codes after animals found in Idaho.
Derek emphasized that MOOSE is an open-source project with plenty of opportunities for others to get involved. There are numerous open issues on their GitHub, including “Good first issue” tasks suitable for newcomers. The project also has an active Discussions forum on GitHub and a Slack community where people can participate and contribute.
Derek also discussed his personal project, Splurge, which aims to help people with budgeting. He explained that the idea stemmed from his passion for budgeting and his experience with various budgeting apps. Splurge offers a different approach by allowing users to accumulate money in spending categories and use it to splurge without exceeding their budget. Derek believes that Splurge can have a positive impact on people’s lives and has priced it affordably so that everyone can benefit from it.
For more information and to connect with Derek, you can find him online by searching for “friedmud” or reach out to him via email at friedmud@gmail.com or derek@splurgebudget.com for inquiries specifically related to Splurge.
To read the full interview, visit Threads and search for “@ryan.swanstrom • Threads Dev Interview #33 with Supercomputer Programmer @friedmud.”
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