Have you ever wondered what your computer does when you're not there to provide it with ... On Windows, it runs a process called the 'System Idle ... Doesn't sound very ...
Have you ever wondered what your computer does when you're not there to provide it with stimulation? On Windows, it runs a process called the 'System Idle Process'. Doesn't sound very intellectually challenging does it? As far as an intellectual challenge, let’s not flatter ourselves either: To our computers we move at the speed of molasses in winter.
Well what if your computer could be running software that benefited humanity in its ample spare time? That is precisely the task the World Community Grid offers your computer when you aren't using it.
Currently, the World Community Grid is looking to dramatically shorten the Human Proteome Folding Project. This is a project that could take years even on the most powerful supercomputer. The answer is to take advantage of parallelization (using many computers at once) to dramatically shorten this computational time.
Many of us have heard of the Human Genome Project that recently completed a map of all human genes. In order for that information to be useful, scientists seek to understand how the proteins that those genes code for are formed in a process called protein folding. It is the shape of proteins that determine their bio-chemical properties. Knowledge of protein folding could, one day, be used in dramatic treatments of all diseases.
To contribute to this admirable task is quick and painless. Visit: http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ and download the client program and within seconds your computer will be solving the problems of humanity.
Download? Download?! This word is sacrilege to many network administrators. Well you needn't worry because IBM, 'Big Blue', has lent its name and resources to ensuring that this is a safe and reliable process.
Once downloaded, the client program will allow you to see the proteins currently being computed. In future, upon completion of the Human Proteome Folding project, the grid can be used for other challenging scientific problems. One likely candidate is signal processing for the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program which required distributed computational power.
Gandhi once said: "life is full of seemingly inconsequential acts, but it is absolutely essential that we do them." This seemingly small act may yield research that can improve the quality of life for all. Visit: http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ and help contribute to scientific history.
Reevaluating the Exodus: A Closer Look at the Numbers
In this exploration of biblical numerology, we delve into the often-cited figure of 600,000 Israelite men departing Egypt, a number that suggests a total population of around three million when including women and children. This analysis not only challenges the feasibility of such numbers from historical and logistical perspectives but also examines alternative interpretations that align more closely with archaeological findings and contemporary understandings of ancient texts.
Intelligent Design: The Debate on Its Place in Science Education
Exploring the contentious debate surrounding the inclusion of Intelligent Design (ID) in science curricula, this article delves into why ID, a hypothesis positing that life is created by an intelligent entity, often identified as God, struggles to find a foothold in scientific classrooms. We examine the nature of scientific inquiry and why ID does not meet the criteria for inclusion in science education, despite its popularity in certain circles.
Kierkegaard, Don Giovanni, and the Messiah
“If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; if you marry or do not marry, you will regret both; whether you marry or do not marry, you will regret both.”-- Soren Kierkegaard.Soren Kierkegaard was a tremendous fan of Don Giovanni (aka Don Juan). Kierkegaard pined in regret over his broken engagement with Regine Olsen. He feared that once she saw the rottenness and evil within him, that she would no longer be able to love him. Many of his earlier works were works dealing with faith and coming to grips with his decision not to marry her. Such a person would be interested in the character of Don Giovanni who slept with thousands of women in fear that no one woman would ever love him. Both Kierkegaard and Don Giovanni had a fundamental lack of faith: Not a lack of faith in God, but a lack of faith in humanity. We’ll soon see that the two are related however.
