This kind of transmission uses a pulley system to simulate gears and is usually more efficient than traditional automatic transmissions.

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Using a grid of 14-kilometer cells, the new system will be able to simulate from one to five years per day of computing time, up from the three months or so that Jaguar was able to churn through in a day.

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The company has worked with Boeing to develop a system that uses multiple workstations to simulate the flow of air over an aircraft's wing.

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The best way to see whether a fire-forecasting system works or not is to simulate a fire whose outcome is already known, and see whether the model correctly predicts what happened.

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And new software, plus the ability to vary the projected sizes and brightnesses of planets and moons, makes it possible to simulate the sky from anywhere in the solar system: to see earthrise from Mars, for example, or to watch Jupiter's moons rise and set from a vantage point just above the gas giant's cloud-tops.

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Known as the Cybram 001, it's said to properly simulate the flow and pressure of one's arterial system from the cerebrum to the groin, and should allow doctors to gain greater familiarity with inserting surgical instruments into these delicate spaces.

ENGADGET: Cybram 001 simulator helps doctors practice brain surgery without risking lives (video)

Several other attempts to simulate keyhole surgery have foundered at this point, but Dr Kelly's system, according to early trials, gives a surprisingly realistic amount of feedback.

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