Colloquium 2024 The Emergence of WebAssembly (Wasm) in Scientific Computing

Developed collaboratively by major browser vendors, including Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, and Apple, WebAssembly (Wasm) addresses the limitations of traditional web programming languages like JavaScript. But what makes it so compelling for scientists? First, Wasm allows code written in languages like C/C++, Fortran or Rust to be compiled into its instruction format and run directly in the browser, making it accessible to anyone without installation hassles and eliminating the need for external servers. Second, with Wasm, developers can recycle existing code with near-native performance but without the hassle of rewriting it in JavaScript. Join us as we explore how Wasm is reshaping scientific workflows and empowering researchers worldwide.