Are you anti-cancer? Or are you one of those pro-cancer morons, eh?
Because, if you're anti-cancer and have a computer or PS3 constantly connected to the internet, there is something you could be doing to help win the battle over all those pro-cancer sickos out there.
It's called FOLDING@HOME.
Basically, they connect to millions of computers world wide to run algorithms design to study how proteins in the body fold. Proteins need to fold within the body to do their job, but when they begin to misfire, they are believed to cause diseases and even many forms of cancer.
By donating your idle computer processor time, you help them get that much closer to unlocking the secrets behind diseases Mad Cow, Huntington's, Alzheimer's and others, in addition to cancers. Understanding fully the causes of these plagues is the only way we can ever hope to find a way to beat them.
So I encourage you to download and install Folding@Home on your computer or PS3 (there's a link at the bottom of the Network list in the PS3 user interface, I believe; God bless Sony for this gesture).
If you do start running it, feel free to join the SCHWAPP!!! team (id 126370).
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Folding@Home
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Huh, nice of you to post this. I have to say, I never should've bought a PS3, as I think i've logged about three hours total playing games on it in the last nine months, but i've folded about 8000 proteins. I look at it now as if I made a donation to charity so that my internet connection can help the folding cats out. And the music is somewhat relaxing, if I remember correctly--i muted it in march, and can't really remember.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tucker. I've been doing Folding@Home off and on for a year or two. I used to run it on two desktops of mine, but after two separate lightning incidents, I'm down to two laptops in the house. Since getting my PS3 a few months ago, I've run it more nights than not...and occasionally for days on end.
ReplyDeleteBuying it for game purposes was a foolhardy move for me, too, as you can see. But being able to help out that project in between sporadic game play sessions makes it feel worthwhile. There should be no PS3 owner with a highspeed connection that goes more than a week without running Folding@Home, IMO.
Oh, I forgot to add:
ReplyDeleteYes, it certainly does have some relaxing music available. Even if you turn off the music but leave on the sound effects, it has the sounds of waves washing up on the shore. Might hook it up in the bedroom sometime and use it as a sound machine.