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"Scientists and researchers have simulated a portion of the universe in a computer. The result, Illustris, is a slice of cosmos 350 million cubic light years in size, containing 41,416 modeled galaxies.  \nSee also: A Breathtaking Reminder of Earth's Minuscule Place in the Universe\nIt\u2019s impressive, but it\u2019s nowhere close to the full picture. Our best guess puts the number of galaxies in the observable universe at more than 170 billion.\nStill, for these sample galaxies, Illustris manages to simulate 13 billion years of evolution in three minutes. It accurately defines their shapes, sizes and distribution of elements. Lead author Mark Vogelsberger, an assistant professor of physics at MIT, calls it a breakthrough of sorts.\n\u201CSome galaxies are more elliptical and some are more like the Milky Way, [spiral] disc-type galaxies. There is a certain ratio in the universe. We get the ratio right. That was not achieved before,\u201D says Vogelsberger.\nIllustris simulates details down to 1,000 light years across \u2014 small enough to zoom in on individual galaxies. There\u2019s so much data involved, it took months to compile across multiple supercomputers.\nThe end results give researchers some of their best understanding yet of how the universe has evolved. \nThe team is looking into ways of refining the data without having to sort through all of it again. In the meantime, its preliminary results have been published in the journal Nature.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/05/08/illustris-simulation-universe/>