Help Fight Smallpox, Bioterrorism, Cancer, and more... Make a difference

[Dillinger]

Most all of us don't use the full processing power of our computers - and certainly we don't at all times. So how about making use of that extra power to do some good? My computers are often on 24 hours a day, every day. I'm more than happy to know that whatever processing power I'm not using is going to a good cause.

http://www.grid.org/home.htm

http://www-3.ibm.com/solutions/lifesciences/

To become a member of grid.org and participate in these important projects, simply download a free, non-invasive software program that works as a screensaver. It runs when your computer has idle processing time. Your computer never leaves your desk and the project never interrupts your normal PC use.

By combining millions of online CPUs worldwide to work on extremely large computational projects, problems can be solved more quickly and less expensively than by conventional methods. Now any networked computer can help required a bank of supercomputers or a hundred years to complete. With the participation of over 2 million devices worldwide, grid.org projects driven by the Global MetaProcessor have achieved record levels of speed and success in processing data.

http://www.grid.org/projects/patriot.htm

http://www.grid.org/projects/smallpox/

http://www.grid.org/projects/cancer/

http://www.grid.org/projects/hmmr/

Does anyone here have any reason not to do this? So go ahead and sign up and list your name on this thread and encourage others to do so - online friends, family, co-workers. Let's help make a difference

Grid.org lets you make a real difference without donating money or time, with the system that you are using to view this post right now - your home or office PC.

 

[Guest]

Sure. Take some of my 16m of my RAM.

 

[DéjàNu]

Seem the same as SETI.

But instead of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence you help science.


ok here we go with he Cancer Project, I nearly lost my mother (only 55) last year!

 

[Dillinger]

Seem the same as SETI.

But instead of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence you help science.

ok here we go with he Cancer Project, I nearly lost my mother (only 55) last year!

Same concept as SETI - same type of technology. But, I feel, a hell of a lot more practical and helpful.

 

[DéjàNu]

Same concept as SETI - same type of technology. But, I feel, a hell of a lot more practical and helpful.

Exactly! SETI was a fun project but like you said GIRD is a hell of a lot more practical and helpful!

Think I will make a new sig line!

 

[Guest]

 

[CoolidgEffect]

You volunteer to put a program on your computer that sucks your "Spare" CPU time? How fast does it switch on and off when you need your CPU?

As a volunteer, do I get access to more CPU power on the grid when I need it? Sounds like it costs money.

So when they say it's the ultimate win-win situation, they mean for themselves right? Free resources to sell to corporations.

 

[Dillinger]

Dill, I can't do it right now. I will be packing up the computer soon and downloading won't be feasible but later I will come back and get to it.

NP - I'm sure you will when you can.

 

[Dillinger]

You volunteer to put a program on your computer that sucks your "Spare" CPU time? How fast does it switch on and off when you need your CPU?

As a volunteer, do I get access to more CPU power on the grid when I need it? Sounds like it costs money.

So when they say it's the ultimate win-win situation, they mean for themselves right? Free resources to sell to corporations.

Sure - and if you see someone lying on the street in pain I'm sure you just walk by and not offer to help. Because it would take some of your precious energy to do so.

 

[Angel]

-kick-

 

[Dillinger]

*bump*

 

[CoolidgEffect]

Sure - and if you see someone lying on the street in pain I'm sure you just walk by and not offer to help. Because it would take some of your precious energy to do so.

Well, I'd probably kick them because I like to hear people moan.

But seriously, that is a poor analogy. You aren't helping anyone directly. You aren't helping an individual, but a corporation.

So a better analogy would be, you are driving along and see UPS truck that has a flat tire. You stop your car to help. You get the spare tire out of the trunk and hand it to a man in a nice blue jumper with Gridlock.org and 'Bob' embroidered on the front. He takes your tire and sells it to UPS.

Yeah Win Win. You feel warm and fluffy. Gridlock makes some money and UPS gets a tire.

And now Gridlock can tack your tires when it thinks you aren't using your car.

 

[Dillinger]

My apologies if my comment was harsh - it did sound kind of like that attitude that's too prevalent these days - people not interested unless there's a personal payoff.

Check out the site - there are many sponsers, not just for one corporation.

But honestly - if it speeds up the development of drugs to combat Smallpox - cure Cancer, etc. I really don't care if some corporation profits from it. I think the benefit to humanity is more important.

And, btw, you will not notice any difference in how your computer behaves or responds. It only uses processor power when you're not using it and there is no delay when you want to do something - it just stops immediately.

 

[Angel]

-kick-

 

[Guru]

I could never get the SETI@Home to work. They had too many people using it. I'm a cancer researcher now!

 

[Dillinger]

I could never get the SETI@Home to work. They had too many people using it. I'm a cancer researcher now!

Pretty cool, huh?

 

[April]

*bump*

 

[Worm]

You aren't helping an individual, but a corporation.

You should remember that when you or someone you know gets cancer and the "evil corporation inventions" save your life.

 

[Dillinger]

*bump*

Is it working for you now?

 

[Cleopatra]

Thanks for the info Dilly. If I can't do my part in the lab anymore, I'd like to do it from home.

 

[Dillinger]

"Grid.org is unmatched in its ability to accelerate today's grand-scale research. Scientist now have at their disposal an available resource that can open up new areas of discovery and analysis in time frames that were previously impossible."

Dr. Graham Richards
Chairman of Chemistry
University of Oxford

 

[Dillinger]

"On February 5, United Devices along with IBM and Accelrys launched the Smallpox Research Grid Project, a joint research effort to identify candidates for developing new drugs that, for the first time, would combat the smallpox virus post-infection. "

"The first counter-bioterrorism project to be powered by United Devices was the Anthrax Research Project. Working with scientists from Oxford University, United Devices provided its Global MetaProcessor technology to screen billions of molecules for suitability as potential treatments for advanced-stage Anthrax."

 

[Dillinger]

"By using the Global MetaProcessor @ grid.org, research groups can speed their lead-finding processes dramatically — shaving years off the timeline for developing new treatments. The Global MetaProcessor has been utilized in drug discovery projects of similar scope including the groundbreaking Cancer Research Project (with Intel & the National Foundation for Cancer Research) and the Anthrax Research Project (with Intel, Microsoft and the University of Oxford)."

 

[Dillinger]

So when they say it's the ultimate win-win situation, they mean for themselves right? Free resources to sell to corporations.

This isn't a project to help one corporation! Hell - you got a research project you're working on? Submit it:

https://www.ud.com/contact/research.htm

Now you can get your own personal half of the "win-win."

 

[Dillinger]

HOW YOU CAN HELP

By supporting the PatriotGrid, your PC will help power counter-bioterrorism related drug discovery & projects. Signing up means participating in all new projects that fall under this important category. So you're not just joining a project — you're joining a cause.

To participate, simply download a free, non-invasive software program that works as a screensaver. It runs when your computer has idle processing time. Your computer never leaves your desk and the project never interrupts your normal PC use.