Raccoon the UNGOOD CRIMETHINKER (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} arocoun2) wrote,@ 2009-10-17 00:29:00 |
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Lazy-assed ways to make your computer useful:
Distributed Computing Projects
For the very few of my friends that actually own a computer, this is for you. A lot of computers stay on all the time, but go long periods of time doing next to nothing. Well, why not make your computer work for something beneficial?
A lot of beneficial research is being done today for the sake of helping medical science, disease control, understanding climate change, and other things. Sometimes, these research projects require lots of computing power to solve gigantic equations, but don't have the funding or equipment to accomplish that on their own. That's where your computer comes in.
Distributed computing programs allow your computer to take on small chunks of those gigantic equations, to help beneficial research. The World Community Grid, one such project, allows one's computer to run equations for research involved in making better AIDS medication, predicting climate change, understanding protein reactions like those involved in Alzheimer's, the best methods of protecting people from malaria, and other beneficial research.
BOINC, the program used for most distributed computing, can help with those projects I just mentioned, and others; such as mapping space and understanding its mysteries, improving our understanding of physics, and other such scientific and mathematical endeavors.
These programs run in the backround with low priority--they won't interfere a bit with anything else you want to do on your computer.
Distributed Volunteer Work
These are projects for when you want something useful and fun to do with your free time. I think of them as usefully goofing off. I participate in such projects as Stardust@home, where volunteers try to help find interstellar particles that can help us understand more about the stars; Galaxy Zoo, where one can help classify the myriad of galaxies in deep space; and Distributed Proofreaders, a project to preserve and spread the availability of old books and literature by converting them to online e-books. These programs require no commitment, and you can volunteer as much or as little as you want without harm.
These are just a few modest suggestions for how to use spare computing power and free time. I have no delusions that this stuff will save the world by itself (though lots of it could save lives down the road), but why not turn you or your computer's relaxation time into something helpful for gaining or preserving knowledge?
Distributed Computing Projects
For the very few of my friends that actually own a computer, this is for you. A lot of computers stay on all the time, but go long periods of time doing next to nothing. Well, why not make your computer work for something beneficial?
A lot of beneficial research is being done today for the sake of helping medical science, disease control, understanding climate change, and other things. Sometimes, these research projects require lots of computing power to solve gigantic equations, but don't have the funding or equipment to accomplish that on their own. That's where your computer comes in.
Distributed computing programs allow your computer to take on small chunks of those gigantic equations, to help beneficial research. The World Community Grid, one such project, allows one's computer to run equations for research involved in making better AIDS medication, predicting climate change, understanding protein reactions like those involved in Alzheimer's, the best methods of protecting people from malaria, and other beneficial research.
BOINC, the program used for most distributed computing, can help with those projects I just mentioned, and others; such as mapping space and understanding its mysteries, improving our understanding of physics, and other such scientific and mathematical endeavors.
These programs run in the backround with low priority--they won't interfere a bit with anything else you want to do on your computer.
Distributed Volunteer Work
These are projects for when you want something useful and fun to do with your free time. I think of them as usefully goofing off. I participate in such projects as Stardust@home, where volunteers try to help find interstellar particles that can help us understand more about the stars; Galaxy Zoo, where one can help classify the myriad of galaxies in deep space; and Distributed Proofreaders, a project to preserve and spread the availability of old books and literature by converting them to online e-books. These programs require no commitment, and you can volunteer as much or as little as you want without harm.
These are just a few modest suggestions for how to use spare computing power and free time. I have no delusions that this stuff will save the world by itself (though lots of it could save lives down the road), but why not turn you or your computer's relaxation time into something helpful for gaining or preserving knowledge?
