Boinc Software

[NegativeSpace]

A long time ago, I had this friend, much older than me and the most skilled and smartest computer guy I've ever known. At the time, he was sort of my mentor. One day I saw some strange software running on one of his laptops and asked him about it. It was BOINC, which is a network computing client that was made by the University of California at Berkley. According to their website, all of the clients who are currently taking part in this program are, together, the world fastest 'super computer'. The project that I am helping with right now is the SETI@Home program. Basically, I take raw data from radio telescopes and crunch it all out in order to determine if the data was generated by intelligent life outside of our solar system. It's really a cool thing to be a part of. I was just wondering if anyone else is doing this.

[Sparda]

While searching for extraterrestrial life is interesting and essential, I think folding proteins is more important right run.

From what I understand (I completely fail at biology) the result of the mess protein folding simulations done by the folding@home project could result from any thing like a cure of common illnesses to the ultimate cancer cure to fixing genetic disorders and every thing in between.

[VaKo]

We've been here for years, its just not the right time to be open with you all yet, plus your governments have been pretty anti the whole idea, and that we do have to respect. We understand these things can be tricky, that's why I got into anthropology in the first place and the last thing we want to force is an "Outside Context Problem".

[chaser48]

I have it running on most of my computers.

[NegativeSpace]

While searching for extraterrestrial life is interesting and essential, I think folding proteins is more important right run.

From what I understand (I completely fail at biology) the result of the mess protein folding simulations done by the folding@home project could result from any thing like a cure of common illnesses to the ultimate cancer cure to fixing genetic disorders and every thing in between.

Medical research is definitely more important than astronomical research, though I have more belief in finding cures for illnesses by way of contact with intelligent life outside of our solar system. The entities that conduct most of the research seem to be most interested, if not exclusively interested, in making money. Of course, companies exist to make money. There's nothing wrong with profiting by curing disease, but I think the most effective reason for wanting to cure disease will be for the good of all people, not for the profit of the people who make the drugs and technologies.

It makes sense to me that the highest forms of intelligent life would not have any use for money, and so could afford all of their time and energy into things like creating medicine and solving important problems. Just imagine, if we were to discover a way to communicate with a billion year old civilization, the knowledge of biology, and everything else, that they would hold. All disease could be cured in a matter of years instead of the centuries that it will take (if ever) at the current rate.

On a more conventional note, the folding@home project sounds like another great cause to which to dedicate my computing resources. I think I'll look that one up after the current projects have finished computing.

[NegativeSpace]

We've been here for years, its just not the right time to be open with you all yet, plus your governments have been pretty anti the whole idea, and that we do have to respect. We understand these things can be tricky, that's why I got into anthropology in the first place and the last thing we want to force is an "Outside Context Problem".

I guess it's not cool for me to talk to CNN? OK, but could you just tell me, was that movie K-PAX for real? Was that guy really an alien? That map he drew for the doctor looked kinda suspicious....

[VaKo]

K-Pax was a novel,

[Zimmer]

I can't even do any of the projects with 1.8 ghz proc and 446 mb ram, wouldn't be much help. :-)

[NegativeSpace]

K-Pax was a novel,

As well as a movie.

[NegativeSpace]

I can't even do any of the projects with 1.8 ghz proc and 446 mb ram, wouldn't be much help. :-)

Really? It seems like that would be plenty of power for SETI@Home. Now I'm curious as to why you have only 446MB of RAM in a machine with a 1.8 ghz processor? You probably could get a lot more performance out of that with a RAM upgrade. Am I missing something?

Edited April 26, 2010 by NegativeSpace

[Mad Pierre]

I'm running Seti on a few Pc's. one been a 1.5 Ghz Laptop @ 10-25% CPU usage,and it's fine

[b0park]

I as well run it, SETI is ONE of the about 4 projects I run. Mostly illness based. I think it would be more popular if results of our work was more publicized and covered. Besides keeping track of milestone with the Facebook app, I have a tendency to forget about it.