The question of what constitutes a supercomputer technically depends on what technologies are cutting edge in any given era—but it's all about throughput. The term "supercomputing" has a long history.

C. 2500 BCE: Sumerian abacus -- c. 700 BC: Scytale -- c. 150: Antikythera mechanism -- c. 60: Programmable robot -- c. 850: "On Deciphering Cryptographic Messages ...

When you think of supercomputers, you probably think of vast air-controlled rooms crammed full of cabinets and illuminated by banks of flashing LEDs. The first Cray supercomputer, for instance, cost ...

Set in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Computer History Museum long cheered the developments around it. Now, it’s taking a more nuanced approach. Credit...By Loren Elliott For The New York Times ...