create a 43 Things team on the World Community Grid

Computing power supplied by World Community Grid volunteers for the Nutritious Rice for the World project will assist in compiling computational modules that will help determine the best options for maximizing rice yields and quality.

The objective of this project is to predict the structure of proteins of major strains of rice. The intent is to help farmers breed better rice strains with higher crop yields, promote greater disease and pest resistance, and utilize a full range of bioavailable nutrients that can benefit people around the world, especially in regions where hunger is a critical concern.

Download the software and Join the 43Things Team!

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=65QMVBXCKT1

World Community Grid’s mission is to create the world’s largest public computing grid to tackle projects that benefit humanity.

Their work has developed the technical infrastructure that serves as the grid’s foundation for scientific research. Our success depends upon individuals collectively contributing their unused computer time to change the world for the better.

World Community Grid is making technology available only to public and not-for-profit organizations to use in humanitarian research that might otherwise not be completed due to the high cost of the computer infrastructure required in the absence of a public grid. As part of our commitment to advancing human welfare, all results will be in the public domain and made public to the global research community.

Join the 43Things Team!

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=65QMVBXCKT1

I’m not too happy with how memory and CPU intensive this can get. And I dunno if it’s just my Dell PC wearing out, but the fan gets worked up quite badly the noise it makes get me worried. At one time, I saw it was using up to 140MB of RAM, which is a lot, considering Firefox (my most frequently used software) uses only up to 60 MB. Still, I’m glad I’ve done this.. at least I know what it’s all about. The concept of grid computing is cool but I think more needs to be done to reassure people of its security aspects and also the necessary heads-up on how intense it can work your RAM and CPU.

Even with my firewalls and all that, I’m actually uncomfortable leaving my computer up and connected. I support the concept, but it’s something I’m just uncomfortable doing myself.

This didn’t work out at all the way I’d hoped.

I assumed that more people (heck, lots more people) would be more than happy to help to find cures for disease. Their PC would do all the work, without them having to expend any energy whatsoever themselves to help others. All everyone needed to do was to run a wee bit of software in the background, which they could forget was installed.

I’ll mark it “to do again”, and have a think about why folk might be so reluctant to help out.

Where’d Persey go???

Persey and I seem to be the only two who’ve actually joined the 43T World Community Grid team (even though others may be running the software).

Please, if you’re a member of this team, click on the link below and make sure you actually join the team itself:

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=5V74QNK1Q1

Also, does anyone have any thoughts on how to make the team bigger? We’ve a real chance to make a difference to the lives of others here, with minimal (none, really!) work on our behalf.

Grateful for anyone’s thoughts.

on my home PC.

But does it occur to you, that if IBM is sponsoring this project, why must it need other people’s CPU power? Doesn’t Big Blue have much more from wherever that came from?

Pls excuse my semi-skepticism there, but yeah.. I don’t mind doing this anyhow.

Here’s how the World Community Grid works.

Simply donate the time your computer is turned on, but would normally lie idle, for projects that benefit humanity. Like a screensaver, grid technology is easy to use, safe and free.

Please sign up here, and don’t forget to join the 43 Things team:

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/

After you’ve installed the software and registered on the website, you can join the 43 Things team by clicking on this link:

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=5V74QNK1Q1

Please remember – joining the 43 Things team is crucial :-)