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Environmental Modeling Is Like a Simile

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A simile, according to Merriam Webster OnLine, is "a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as". Environmental simulation (sounds kind of like "simile", huh?) can well be viewed as "a figure of science, math, computers and human ingenuity comparing two unlike things," in this case, the environment and a mass of circuit boards, numbers and computer-generated images. So, environmental modeling really is like a simile (redundant?).

Which is all just a rather long-winded way to say that there is a rather interesting suite of environmental modeling software being developed at Edinburgh University's Institute of Ecology and Resource Management in Edinburgh, UK. The name of the software? Why, "Simile," of course.

Recognizing that modeling tools in research environments often leave something to be desired, the researchers at Edinburgh set out to correct the shortcomings that they perceived in environmental simulation packages. What they came up with is a product that allows scientists to put together research models through the use of a diagram-based language. The models which are produced can be shared with other researchers as compiled C programs, and can also be linked in with other software to expand simulation capability.

Some of Simile's current features seem to indicate great promise in driving it to the forefront of environmental simulation technology. We've already discussed its unique model set-up, which makes it accessible to nearly all environmental scientists whether they are "into" computer programming or not. It essentially hides the inner workings of the simulation and lets the researcher get at a problem through conceptual means, not bare-bones numbers approaches. In addition, this interface encourages the use of many different types of simulation models because the scientist is not stuck inside any particular theoretical box with a certain calculation type as its walls.

Because Simile allows each user to develop his own code to do what he needs, it is inherently modular in nature. Having different people developing different modules leads to the possibility of collaboration for the purpose of building larger, more robust simulation tools. The potential for code re-use is also greatly enhanced by products such as this.

As more scientist start to use Simile and see its power, they are likely to tell others. These communications are bound to lead to discussions of what software is needed, and what is available in the community. This invariably leads to code swapping -- and more productivity for all concerned.

Simile has lots of neat features that you can check out

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