Jin Song

A row of metal cabinets housing the supercomputer is pictured. Above each cabinet is a small red sign that says “SFU,” and the room appears plain and cold. The floors are shiny grey concrete.
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SFU’s new supercomputer, Fir, is now online

Peak Web November 11, 2025

SFU now hosts Canada’s fastest supercomputer, Fir. Designed for data and compute-intensive research such as artificial intelligence (AI), Fir came online in September and is the only Canadian machine in the global top 100 supercomputers. Fir replaced its predecessor, Cedar, which was “an eight-year-old system at the time that it was decommissioned,” said James Peltier, director of research computing at SFU. Peltier is “also the site lead for SFU with respect to the supercomputing systems that are part of the national platform.” From a technology perspective, eight years is a significant number. Peltier said Fir is “significantly more powerful, significantly…

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SIGGRAPH 2025: a retrospective

Peak Web November 10, 2025

SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) is the largest computer graphics conference in the world, bringing together scientists, artists, and other professionals working on cutting-edge technologies in the field. It has hosted guest speakers like Mark…

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A pot of green tea decorated with pink cherry blossoms is poured into two ceramic cups. Two shogi pieces sit above the words “happy new year” written in black brushstrokes.
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Experiencing Oshougatsu

Peak Web January 22, 2025

Oshougatsu, which is Japanese for New Year, is celebrated at the start of January. It is also known as shougatsu. Typical traditions include house cleaning to symbolize new beginnings, viewing the first sunrise, and the consumption of special dishes like…

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This is a photo of one of the inside halls of the upper 5000-level of the academic quadrangle at SFU.
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SFU student verbally harassed on campus by group of teenagers

Peak Web January 13, 2025

Content warning: details of harassment, and racist and sexist language.  The safety of SFU students is being questioned after an incident of verbal harassment against an SFU student occurred on the Burnaby Campus on November 24, 2024. Following this incident,…

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A small black couch and a chair with a desk in a quiet corner at SFU.
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Bright-er Side: Navigating the maze of Burnaby Mountain

Peak Web September 26, 2024

My first experience of SFU’s Burnaby campus was struggling to find TASC 9204 for an absurd amount of time. Even with the help of Google Maps, SFU Snap, the campus maps, and strangers (none of whom actually knew where the…

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Illustrative farm animals with innocent expressions. Two chickens, a cow, two pigs, and a sheep
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An argument for reducing your meat intake

Peak Web September 18, 2024

Content warning: mentions of animal cruelty. In another, far-off universe, humans might be photosynthetic — converting sunlight to energy as our source of food. Luckily, in our universe, we get to enjoy the great pleasure of eating food. As a…

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Notebooks with pens and scissors on top
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Back-to-school isn’t an excuse for mass consumerism

Peak Web September 13, 2024

With back-to-school shopping in full swing, many students have participated in the annual shopping spree of stocking up on snazzy supplies, the latest technology, and clothing galore. These days, it’s become a market of wants over needs. Students often partake…

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Illustration. Someone using their smartphone against a black background. The phone light illuminates their face, which displays an exhausted expression. Surrounding them are illustrative emojis and notifications.
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Opinions in Dialogue: Is social media helpful or harmful?

Peak Web May 25, 2024

Social media use has skyrocketed in recent years. What once felt like a novelty is now commonplace, as it’s become increasingly rare to meet someone who doesn’t use any form of social media. Concerns have been mounting for years about…

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silhouette of people watching Kung Fu Panda on a movie theatre screen
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I don’t know how to feel about Kung Fu Panda 4

Peak Web May 16, 2024

It’s hard to understate the impact of Kung Fu Panda (2008) on pre-teen me, along with many others. The scene revealing the truth behind the secret ingredient is something I still think about to this day. It tells us that…

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produce stand in a grocery store isle
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Navigating the soaring costs of groceries

Peak Web May 15, 2024

If you’ve recently gone grocery shopping, you’ve likely noticed concerning rises in food prices. Why has everything gone up a couple of bucks, but the portions have gotten smaller (also known as shrinkflation)? Why have the prices for staple items…

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