I hate wasted resources. But I also hate turning my computer on and off when I'm only gone for, like half an hour. Solution? Easy. I donate my body to science. Or rather, my CPU. Same difference.
I'm talking about distributed computing. Basically, you install a little software client, which uses the idle times on your computer to calculate stuff. The stuff you're calculating isn't much, like "how would a protein look if it had these contents" or "is there anything unusual in this radio signal", and any pc which can run Windows can run these.
But the algorithms need time. And if you are a scientist who wants to know the looks of all the three gazillion proteins found yet, and it will take two hours on a fast pc to calculate the looks of one, even a very very fast pc won't cut it.
But one million average pc's make a difference. Here's where you come in. Yes, I want something from you. But since it's not money nor time wasted for you (except maybe for two minutes of setup), it's not like that big a deal. Hell, you don't even have to lift your lazy ass out of your chair for it.
Here's a list of many distributed computing projects currently active (you have to scroll down the page to see the list). You can choose any of those as you like it, just remember that installing more than one at a time is probably counter-productive.
Personally, I've chosen Folding@Home , because it's one of the largest projects, has already published interesting results, and its goal is to cure illnesses. Plus, it has a point system, so whenever you submit a work unit, you'll climb up the rank ladder. It doesn't mean anything of course, except you can feel mighty cancer-cure-y for a day or whatever.
I also set up a team number (53899) over there, which means we could combine our powers, and be just like those damn Benetton Kids summoning Captain Planet. Only cooler. So, whaddaya say, people?
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