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Aussieveedubbers

Do something useful with your PC

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fatboy Disciple of Kol

603 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#124875
Hey guys I have found a way to actually do something useful with my PC(s).


http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/

If you download the software from this site and let it run on your PC you can help find a cure for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson's.

It is a just like the SETI@Home project where your PC will download small chunks of data / process it and upload the results

I have taken the liberty of starting a team called Aussieveedubers and the team number is 13078 which you can add in the config section of the software.

Their are 2 downloads - a screen saver which processes only when your screensaver is active or the program which runs all the time (Only uses idle cpu time so it doesn't affect your PC too much)

I would only run one as I had some trouble when setting them both up.
" Captain Picard, why are there no Indians on the Enterprise ? Don't you need IT Support ? "

dodge Fahrvergnugen

958 posts · joined Mar 2003 ·

#124893
what the? how does that program work? 🙂

fatboy Disciple of Kol

603 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#124911
It downloads a tiny bit their data and then runs a simulation on your PC of genes folding, when the data is processed the results are uploaded and the next lot of data is downloaded.

Even though the data is physically small the amount of processing is huge, but with over 280,000 ppl worldwide taking part you can imagine how much number crunching is going on.

The first stage of the project to "simulate the folding dynamics of proteins and make quantitative predictions for how [protein folding] works". Apparently this has been a 'holy grail' of computational biology and was acheived October 21, 2002

So come on guys you get lots of options about whether you want it to ask permission to connect to the internet and stuff like that so their really isn't any excuse for not letting your PC help out.

BTW the Aussieveedubbers Team Ranking is currently 7783
" Captain Picard, why are there no Indians on the Enterprise ? Don't you need IT Support ? "

fatboy Disciple of Kol

603 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#124914
The program looks good too.

It usually runs in the task bar - but you can open it have a look at whats going on
This is windowed mode but you can leave it running full screen.

The screensaver version runs full screen of course.:thumb

The blobby thing is the gene being folded
" Captain Picard, why are there no Indians on the Enterprise ? Don't you need IT Support ? "

lulu94 Wolfsburg Wizard

449 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#125125
does sound good although im not online or have my pc on long enought to do much.

someone i know does the same thing with a space program, so his computer searches for anything ion the data from way out there.
1968 pearl white beetle:kiss
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thorgin Casual Dubber

34 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#125588
Yeh sounds good, ive downloaded it and got it running, been running for a while but still on 0% how long does it take to process these things? it seems to be taking forever
<b>Fall to your knees.'Tis his highness, the Hero of Time. King Thorgin/The Great Knight.<b>

fatboy Disciple of Kol

603 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#125592
:thumb

It depend on the specs of your machine.

My "Server" is only a celeron 1.7ghz with 512 meg of RAM and as it is a server it is usually doing other things as well will take 24+ hours to process

Whilst my laptop which is p4 2.4 also with 512 meg ram will do it in about 5 hours.

You really see why they need so much help - they are looking at decades of computing time.

BTW Stanford Uni is non-profit and all the results from this gets released into the public domain.

Thanks for your help Thorgin
" Captain Picard, why are there no Indians on the Enterprise ? Don't you need IT Support ? "

thorgin Casual Dubber

34 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#125596
oh ok, i was thinking like a couple of minutes per process, but thats cool with me, my computer is pretty much constanly on so ill just leave it running, plus, it looks cool 🙂
<b>Fall to your knees.'Tis his highness, the Hero of Time. King Thorgin/The Great Knight.<b>