World Community Grid Agent
RustySpoon
Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18069Members
Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18069Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Help humanity with uber micro!</div> <a href='http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4024931.stm' target='_blank'>BBC story</a>
<!--QuoteBegin-The Website. Click it you lazy bastage+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (The Website. Click it you lazy bastage)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
Computer grid to help the world
Your computer's spare time could help address the world's biggest problems
Your computer can now help solve the world's most difficult health and social problems.
Launched this week, the World Community Grid will use idle computer time to test solutions to these problems.
The donated processor cycles will help the WCG create virtual supercomputers via the net.
The idea follows the success of other similar projects that have used the untapped processing power of millions of desktop PCs.
One of the most successful collaboration projects was Seti@home, run by the Search for Extra Terrestrial Life project, which sorted through radio signals looking for signs of alien communication.
All welcome
WCG will inspire us to look beyond the technological limitations that have historically restricted us from addressing some of our most intractable problems
Elain Gallin, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Anyone can volunteer to donate the spare time of their computers by downloading a special screensaver from the WGC website.
Once installed, the virtual terminal gets a chunk of the computational task to process, and reports back after completing that task.
The first WCG problem being tackled will be the Human Proteome Folding Project, which hopes to identify the ways that the proteins in our body fold.
The first WCG project will try to unveil the secrets of proteins
The subjects of study are being selected by an international advisory board of experts specializing in health sciences, and technology.
The body will evaluate proposals from leading research, public and not-for-profit organizations, and is expected to oversee up to six projects a year.
Organisations also represented on the board include the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organisation.
No limits
"The World Community Grid will enable researchers around the globe to gather and analyze unprecedented quantities of data to help address important global issues," said Elain Gallin, program director for medical research at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
"[It] will inspire us to look beyond the technological limitations that have historically restricted us from addressing some of our most intractable problems", she added.
IBM has donated the hardware, software, technical services and expertise to build the basic infrastructure for the grid.
The computer company, working with United Devices, previously developed the Smallpox Research Grid, which created linked together more than two million volunteers from 226 countries to speed the analysis of some 35 million drug molecules in the search for a treatment
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Well I felt like downloading. Attractive interface. All professional stuff.
Right now I'm processing "Human proteome folding." It shows the current proteom beeing processed in full secks sawce 3d, which makes me look oh-so-phd-crowbarscientist important.
It does take ALL of your resources, but you have to admit, you're not at the computer all of the time. It can be set to start at point x:am and end at point y:pm, or you can tell it to only process stuff while your screensaver is on.
Please think of the kittens.
<a href='http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/' target='_blank'>Go go go!</a> Make yourself useful!
<!--QuoteBegin-The Website. Click it you lazy bastage+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (The Website. Click it you lazy bastage)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
Computer grid to help the world
Your computer's spare time could help address the world's biggest problems
Your computer can now help solve the world's most difficult health and social problems.
Launched this week, the World Community Grid will use idle computer time to test solutions to these problems.
The donated processor cycles will help the WCG create virtual supercomputers via the net.
The idea follows the success of other similar projects that have used the untapped processing power of millions of desktop PCs.
One of the most successful collaboration projects was Seti@home, run by the Search for Extra Terrestrial Life project, which sorted through radio signals looking for signs of alien communication.
All welcome
WCG will inspire us to look beyond the technological limitations that have historically restricted us from addressing some of our most intractable problems
Elain Gallin, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Anyone can volunteer to donate the spare time of their computers by downloading a special screensaver from the WGC website.
Once installed, the virtual terminal gets a chunk of the computational task to process, and reports back after completing that task.
The first WCG problem being tackled will be the Human Proteome Folding Project, which hopes to identify the ways that the proteins in our body fold.
The first WCG project will try to unveil the secrets of proteins
The subjects of study are being selected by an international advisory board of experts specializing in health sciences, and technology.
The body will evaluate proposals from leading research, public and not-for-profit organizations, and is expected to oversee up to six projects a year.
Organisations also represented on the board include the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organisation.
No limits
"The World Community Grid will enable researchers around the globe to gather and analyze unprecedented quantities of data to help address important global issues," said Elain Gallin, program director for medical research at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
"[It] will inspire us to look beyond the technological limitations that have historically restricted us from addressing some of our most intractable problems", she added.
IBM has donated the hardware, software, technical services and expertise to build the basic infrastructure for the grid.
The computer company, working with United Devices, previously developed the Smallpox Research Grid, which created linked together more than two million volunteers from 226 countries to speed the analysis of some 35 million drug molecules in the search for a treatment
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well I felt like downloading. Attractive interface. All professional stuff.
Right now I'm processing "Human proteome folding." It shows the current proteom beeing processed in full secks sawce 3d, which makes me look oh-so-phd-crowbarscientist important.
It does take ALL of your resources, but you have to admit, you're not at the computer all of the time. It can be set to start at point x:am and end at point y:pm, or you can tell it to only process stuff while your screensaver is on.
Please think of the kittens.
<a href='http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/' target='_blank'>Go go go!</a> Make yourself useful!
Comments
Yep, we should get rid of hospitals.
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Only a few years ago, scientists completed a draft sequence of the Human Genome. While our genes are an amazing repository of information, knowing the genes is only the beginning. It is the proteins made from these genes that actually carry out all the functions that keep us alive.
However, scientists still do not know the functions of a large fraction of human proteins. With an understanding of how each protein affects human health, scientists can develop new cures for human disease.
Huge amounts of data exist that can identify the role of individual proteins, but it must be analyzed to be useful. This analysis could take years to complete on super computers. World Community Grid hopes to shrink this time to months.
spacer Human Proteome
Proteins are long and disordered chains folded into globs. The number of shapes that proteins can fold into is enormous. Searching through all of the possible shapes to identify the correct function of an individual protein is a tremendous challenge.
The Human Proteome Folding project will provide scientists with data that predicts the shape of a very large number of human proteins. These predictions will give scientists the clues they need to identify the biological functions of individual proteins within the human body. With an understanding of how each protein affects human health, scientists can develop new cures for human diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, SARS, and malaria.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you disagree, go smite some people with a handgun, true american style.
Because dear god, please don't let humans advance in medicine!
Because dear god, please don't let humans advance in medicine! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He must also kill himself after the cleansing.
Because dear god, please don't let humans advance in medicine! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He must also kill himself after the cleansing. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh, I have a plan much beyond what any of you have suggested. Much beyond...
Let's just say "I am going to kill all life on the planet with a supervirus."
Maybe that was saying too much.
I never said that.
When you find out that you or somebody close to you has a fatal disease, you'll see the motivation.
When you find out that you or somebody close to you has a fatal disease, you'll see the motivation. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm sure I will, until I or they die of the disease and I come to grips with the idea that not everyone on earth can live a long, healthy life as long as we keep having babies.