AN AMAZING COMMUNITY

AN AMAZING COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY

Here is the description of a website from the University of Washington:

Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's (See our Disease Related Research for more information). Please join us in our efforts! Rosetta@home is not for profit.
This is a spin off from the SETI project where they use over a million home computers to run small segments of a huge program that is searching for Extra Terrestrial life in the universe. Only now they have redeveloped the software to search for cures for diseases that plague mankind. About 60,000 home computers = one super computer.

You leave your computer on when you are not using it and the software works on the solution to a small part of the problem and relays it back to the university. When you start using your computer  the software shuts down and waits for an inactive period to start up again where it left off.

I am thinking what a great project for all of us. Right now I am going to see if the  LVH computer lab computers can be left on permanently to help. I am also leaving my desktop on all the time so it might as well get involved too. What about if we all are able to hook up all those older computers we all have and leave them on permanently running.. Lots of possibilities here...