Home computers can now be used to help find the next medical cure for diseases.
Advancement in computer science allows researchers to test how proteins fold, genes interact and the spread of illness in complex digital simulations of natural environments. The simulations are being used widely and becoming more intensive that computers at academic institutions and research centers can't keep up the demand of processing power.
Scientists are using the network to help channel thier processing power by using home computers that people volenteer to help aid medical research.
Volenteers download an application that links them to other volenteers and to research scientists. The network assigns each computer a small part of the project's puzzle to solve. This goes on as long as the computer is turned on and it can take several hours depending on the power of individual's computer.
When finished, the result is automatically sent back to the network's server.
If I had a better home computer, I'd think I'd volenteer my processing power. The idea of possibly finding medical cures just by using your every day computer is amazing. Like right out of a movie or sci-fi book!
But I am worried about viruses and spyware with all those computers connected to each other even if the server has good protection. I've had horrible bad luck, no matter the virus security I use, I always get a virus of the worse kind.
The use system digital signatures is one defense against hackers so they can't hijack an existing project. Then there's "sandboxing" all Boinic activity from the rest of the host's computer, so even if a bug did get in, it wouldn't cause to much damage to the project.
Anyone (like me) who is interested in volenteering your home computer for medical researchers should learn all that you can before agreeing.
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It sounds interesting because it's possibly a cheaper meathod to "outsource" to individuals with computers that have different processing speeds. I would much rather invest in computers built from scratch because that way I know what I have and I don't have to depend on anyone else. Only issue is, is the fact of funding and why they did it in the first place. Money sucks sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI personally dont think i would do it. I have had my Macbook now for 3 years and it has crashed 3 times. I paid alot of money for my computer and it already crashes, i wouldnt download anything to harm it.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really interesting, I had never heard of it before. Its amazing the things people can do these days. I wouldn't have a problem volunteering my computer if it weren't for the fact that it sounds like the length of the process would be pricey as far as the cost of energy goes.
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