Put your PC to use…for good this time
Years and years ago I discovered what is known as “distributed computing”, which is software that sits on your computer, and when you’re not using it, runs computations using the idle computing power of your machine. Back then I ran a program known as “SETI”, (“Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”), but since then, the scope of this sort of thing as grown quite a lot, headed up by something from IBM called the World Community Grid.
Current projects include attempts to discover drugs to treat Dengue fever, cure Muscular Dystrophy, or creating a more robust form of rice. So when I’m at work, or doing something more important than staring at a monitor, my computer is using its idle time to actually make a difference.
The software is free, easy to set up, and requires no input from you to run. Give it a try, and make a difference…effortlessly.
