Parquet is the de facto columnar file format in modern analytical systems, yet its configuration guidelines have largely been shaped by CPU-centric execution models. As GPU-accelerated data processing becomes increasingly prevalent, Parquet files generated with CPU-oriented defaults can severely underutilize GPU parallelism, turning GPU scans into a performance bottleneck. In this work, we systematically study how Parquet configurations affect GPU scan performance. We show that Parquet's poor GPU performance is not inherent to the format itself but rather a consequence of suboptimal configuration choices. By applying GPU-aware configurations, we increase effective read bandwidth up to 125 GB/s without modifying the Parquet specification.
The AI hardware boom has led modern data centers to adopt HPC-style architectures centered on distributed, GPU-centric computation. Large GPU clusters interconnected by fast RDMA networks and backed by high-bandwidth NVMe storage enable scalable computation and rapid access to storage-resident data. Tensor computation runtimes (TCRs), such as PyTorch, originally designed for AI workloads, have recently been shown to accelerate analytical workloads. However, prior work has primarily considered settings where the data fits in aggregated GPU memory. In this paper, we systematically study how TCRs can support scalable, distributed query processing for large-scale, storage-resident OLAP workloads. Although TCRs provide abstractions for network and storage I/O, naive use often underutilizes GPU and I/O bandwidth due to insufficient overlap between computation and data movement. As a core contribution, we present PystachIO, a prototype of a PyTorch-based distributed OLAP engine that combines fast network and storage I/O with key optimizations to maximize GPU, network, and storage utilization. Our evaluation shows up to 3x end-to-end speedups over existing distributed GPU-based query proce
With the development of learning-based embedding models, embedding vectors are widely used for analyzing and searching unstructured data. As vector collections exceed billion-scale, fully managed and horizontally scalable vector databases are necessary. In the past three years, through interaction with our 1200+ industry users, we have sketched a vision for the features that next-generation vector databases should have, which include long-term evolvability, tunable consistency, good elasticity, and high performance. We present Manu, a cloud native vector database that implements these features. It is difficult to integrate all these features if we follow traditional DBMS design rules. As most vector data applications do not require complex data models and strong data consistency, our design philosophy is to relax the data model and consistency constraints in exchange for the aforementioned features. Specifically, Manu firstly exposes the write-ahead log (WAL) and binlog as backbone services. Secondly, write components are designed as log publishers while all read-only analytic and search components are designed as independent subscribers to the log services. Finally, we utilize mul
Researchers have recreated the physics of extracting energy from a spinning black hole using a stationary device that produces synthetic ultrafast rotation。 The achievement transforms a long-standing theoretical idea into a practical experiment and could inspire new advances in optics, wireless communications, and quantum science
Dark matter may be far more complicated than scientists once believed。 A new study suggests it could consist of at least two different kinds of particles that slowly separate over time, with heavier particles sinking toward the centers of galaxies and lighter ones drifting outward。 This simple idea could explain several puzzling cosmic observations
K2-18b is one of the most promising worlds for the search for extraterrestrial life, so astronomers conducted an unusually powerful radio survey using both the VLA and MeerKAT telescopes。 Advanced software analyzed millions of signals, filtering out Earth-based interference and other false positives。 No convincing artificial radio transmissions wer
Scientists have combined machine learning with quantum physics to discover two new superconductors and create a much faster way to search for many more。 The technique could bring researchers significantly closer to the long-sought goal of a room-temperature superconductor
Gold may have a secret self-defense system that helps it resist tarnishing。 Researchers discovered that atoms on gold surfaces reorganize themselves into patterns that block oxygen from reacting with the metal, suppressing oxidation by up to a trillion-fold。 Beyond explaining why gold jewelry stays bright for generations, the finding could help sci
Old and forgotten "shims" Microsoft failed to revoke have made Secure Boot bypasses simple
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a spectacular red, white, and blue view of one of the Milky Way's oldest star clusters to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary。 Hidden within the ancient cluster are clues to how exploding stars helped transform the young universe into one capable of forming planets and, eventually, life
Astronomers have uncovered 31 of the oldest known quasars, including the two earliest ever detected, shining from a time when the universe was only about 670 million years old。 Powered by supermassive black holes billions of times the Sun’s mass, these incredibly bright objects challenge scientists’ understanding of how such enormous black holes fo
A newly developed material can control and "program" heat, allowing it to direct thermal radiation, switch modes, and remember its settings without continuous power。 The innovation could lead to smarter infrared sensors, better energy technologies, and memory devices that use light and heat instead of electrical charges
Four nearby white dwarf stars have been discovered hiding in plain sight beside brighter red dwarf companions。 Hubble's ultraviolet observations finally revealed the long-hidden stellar remnants, including one just 25 light-years away that took nearly three decades to confirm。 The findings match long-standing predictions and suggest our corner of t
Physicists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have examined a fundamental property of quantum mechanics in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR)。 In the scientific journal Physical Review Letters, they show that this theory does not necessarily need to be formulated with imaginary numbers – real numbers can in fact also
Celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary, NASA released a stunning Hubble portrait of Messier 3, an ancient globular cluster with more than 500,000 stars。 The remarkable cluster is helping scientists unravel the Milky Way's past thanks to its rare stars and possible origins in a long ago cosmic merger
A decades-old puzzle about water has finally been unraveled。 Researchers found that water trapped in tiny nanoscale spaces is not inherently more reactive。 Instead, the intense pressures created inside these microscopic gaps explain most of the effect, while the surrounding material can further enhance water's chemistry if it interacts with the rea
Yes, it was, in fact, a Unix system