Do humankind some good

[Jumptship]

Hey all,

I know I am not a regular poster here but I am a regular reader but, when I got this from a co-worker and checked it out I thought this would be good to share.  It is called Folding@home http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Main.  It is client software you download and allow to run when you are not using your computer.  The client will get a "work pack" from the university and do the calculations needed then send it back when complete.  These "work packs" assist in folding proteins that can help find a cause/cure for Cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.  Take a look and read the site for yourself.

Here is an exerpt from the site...

What is protein folding and how is folding linked to disease?
Proteins are biology's workhorses -- its "nanomachines." Before proteins can carry out these important functions, they assemble themselves, or "fold." The process of protein folding, while critical and fundamental to virtually all of biology, in many ways remains a mystery.

Moreover, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. "misfold"), there can be serious consequences, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers and cancer-related syndromes.

You can help by simply running a piece of software.
Folding@home is a distributed computing project -- people from throughout the world download and run software to band together to make one of the largest supercomputers in the world. Every computer takes the project closer to our goals. Folding@home uses novel computational methods coupled to distributed computing, to simulate problems millions of times more challenging than previously achieved.

[somegirl]

For people who are familiar with the SETI@home project, this is a similar idea.

[Jumptship]

BTW,

If anyone does install the client, I have created a team.  Once installed you can enter the team number so all stats are tallied.

Team name - DucMonster
Team number - 154595

[ROBsS4R]

I just installed it and joined your group.

I thinks its crunching data now but the Viewer keeps crashing =(

[Jumptship]

I just installed it and joined your group.

I thinks its crunching data now but the Viewer keeps crashing =(

Thanks for joining, 

no problems with the viewer on my end but to honest, not much to see...LOL  Pretty much like watching the visualization on Media Player 

[NAKID]

For some reason it wouldn't work on my computer....

[ROBsS4R]

Thanks for joining, 

no problems with the viewer on my end but to honest, not much to see...LOL  Pretty much like watching the visualization on Media Player 

Bah

Doesnt the ps3 version have a cool Visualizer?

In anycase it appears to be working 8/200 work units processed so far.

[Mother]

the visualizer

[Jumptship]

HOLY MOLY Mother!   You gonna finish that in one sitting?

[Mother]

HOLY MOLY Mother!   You gonna finish that in one sitting?

right now my computer i s  S   L     O      W

this project is a resource hog

[jdubbs32584]

right now my computer i s  S   L     O      W

this project is a resource hog

Methinks its a carbon based error. 

[Mother]

Methinks its a carbon based error. 

ha!

you funny

go ahead and download it onto your laptop and see what happens

[jdubbs32584]

ha!

you funny

go ahead and download it onto your laptop and see what happens

oh dont be a grumpy bear.




i had one of these on my school computer back in college. work computer has too much sensitive data to put this kinda stuff on it.

[Jumptship]

right now my computer i s  S   L     O      W

this project is a resource hog

Check your configuration, you can adjust how much processor power it gets.

[DaniD]

I think the ps3 version only runs while your not using it so it doesn't affect the speed or performance of the machine while your playing...shouldn't it be that way with the computer too?