Distributed computing gets a huge success.

October 22, 2002 6:25 AM

Distributed computing gets a huge success. The folding@home project has successfully mapped the folding of a protein, which could lead to important research into degenerative disorders. They achieved 2000 years' worth of computer number crunching using the spare CPU cycles of people's home computers. For those of us without PhD's, you can read about it here. I'm still looking for space bugs.
posted by mkultra (6 comments total)

papers here
posted by andrew cooke at 6:38 AM on October 22, 2002

They found something in 2000 years worth of computing, while SETI@home has used around 1180109.736 years. Insane.
posted by Hall at 6:38 AM on October 22, 2002

Well, the folding@home project was working toward a specific, defined goal, and all data crunching went directly toward it. SETI, on the other hand, is effectively looking for a needle in the cosmic haystack. I can't find the links, but I think they recently hit a milestone in that they're starting to analyze data faster than they generate it.
posted by mkultra at 6:51 AM on October 22, 2002

My Google toolbar at home just upgraded itself over the weekend--now it runs Folding@home all by itself. Go Google!
posted by gramcracker at 7:15 AM on October 22, 2002

Does that mean that the project is now complete?
posted by dr_dank at 7:18 AM on October 22, 2002

Y'all might also want to check out DistributedFolding.org. A lot of the Folding@Home participants went there after Pande's project had a few problems. (Including me). Another advantage of DistributedFolding.org is that they also provide clients for Linux, FreeBSD, Irix, Solaris, Compaq, HPUX, etc... (unlike Folding@Home).
posted by gregor-e at 4:36 PM on October 22, 2002