Retired Laboratory physicist and computational pioneer Berni Alder was one of nine researchers to receive the National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama on October 7, 2009. Alder is regarded as the founder of molecular dynamics, a type of computer simulation used to study the motions and interactions of atoms over time. In 1980, he was one of the first scientists to apply large-scale simulations to solve quantum mechanics problems. In addition, his work led to changes in kinetic molecular theory, showing that simulations can significantly affect a scientific field.
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