Cajones 0 #1 March 5, 2003 This is actually a spin-off from the Distributed Computing thread. It is about a world-wide effort to understand proteins and their role in certain diseases. It is called "Folding@Home" and this effort is already producing results. Some of you may have heard about SETI@Home, and it's search for extraterrestrial intelligence by scanning the skies with radio telescopes and analyzing the signals they pick up from space. Folding@Home (F@H) works much the same way, in that analysis of data is shared by many computers. Collectively, many computers become one, huge, super-computer. This "super computer" studies protein folding, misfolding, aggregation, and related diseases. Something much more meaningful to most of us than searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. To help in this effort is very easy. You simply download a program from http://folding.stanford.edu/. And install it on your computer. The program only runs when you are not using your computer, so it doesn't interfere with any work you are doing. When you install the program, you can also join the dropzone.com team. Simply put "31515" for your team number. You can also do this later, or change to a different team at any time. I am a reformed SETI@Home user. Something that helps us all is something I cannot ignore. The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #2 March 5, 2003 Installed and running. -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #3 March 5, 2003 Thanks for spreading the news, Cajones. This is an important project, and we can all contribute in meaningful ways. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #4 March 6, 2003 you've already saved my life i can't tell you how many times or in how many ways... it's the least we can do to let my laptops go to work... peace, and the greatest of the three,http://www.exitshot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #5 March 6, 2003 I was a SETI user for a long time. I had never even heard of this project until tonight, in the other thread. Cajones, i have uninstalled SETI and am now running Folding, in the Dropzone group!It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iflyme 0 #6 March 6, 2003 I ran seti for a long time, and returned more data than 89% of the other users ... now it's time -- thanks to your suggestion -- to divert my computing power elsewhere! Thanks for the idea! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #7 March 6, 2003 It's for a good cause so I joined the team. KrisSky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #8 March 6, 2003 I am quite the computer illiterate. Would someone explain to me how it is safe to do, and how it works when you're not online? Is there any way someone can get (hack) into my computer and steal all my private stuff? I'd appreciate it! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #9 March 6, 2003 Michele, It works like this: 1) You install the client software, which is easy. 2) It gets a "work unit" from the project server via the internet. 3) Your computer works on the work unit, whether connected or not. 4) When completed, your computer waits until you are connected again, then sends the work unit back in and requests another. Some projects are more suitable to working in a primarily offline environment. They might grab extra work units, knowing it will be awhile before they can get more. Some also retry variations of the original unit until they can connect again. As to the security, it is good, but unless you keep your computer totally disconnected, there is still some risk of attack. This is only my opinion, but I'd say that running a reputable distributed computing project is an insignificant addition to the computing risk you already have? Is your operating system completely patched, up to date and locked down as secure as it can be? If not, that is a far greater threat than a distributed computing project. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #10 March 6, 2003 Thanks, Justin. I appreciate the info. As I stated, I am very computer illiterate, and have no idea if I'm as safe as I can be. But if the risk is very low, and sounds like it is, and as there aren't too many "private things" on my 'puter anyway (I still don't trust it totally), then I shall also be joining the project tonight. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #11 March 7, 2003 I just checked the stats page on the dropzone.com folding team. The first work units are complete! The dropzone.com team just might make the world a little better place. I've been trying to think of an incentive for people to pitch in. I haven't talked it over with WFFC (Michael) or Phree (Eric), but I'm thinking computer time at The Convention would be a nice bonus for helping to cure diseases. Check out the team stats here: http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/teampage?q=31515 Edit to make clicky and prevent hot forking. The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #12 March 7, 2003 clicky EDITED TO ADD: 66% done, and it's been running for at least 2 days nonstop. That's at least 48 hours. Athlon XP 1800+ with Win2k pro. So it takes at least about 73 hours to finish a work unit on my puter. Ouchie, this is no SETI@Home -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #13 March 7, 2003 Imagine you have 1000 equations to solve. You can do it by getting a pen, a pencil, a calculator, and cranking away. You could get a few of your friends to help you. Or, better yet, you could start a webpage where anyone who wants can solve an equation. This is the same idea. They give your puter a small task to do. When your puter is done, it uploads them the answer. A big smart program on the main puter at Stanford takes your answer, and the answers of thousands of others, and makes one big answer out of that. It's called distributed supercomputing, or occasionally cluster supercomputing. It only needs to be online to download a question or upload an answer. That is probably less than 1% of the work for it. So it really doesn't need you to be online all the time, only occasionally. It does need to run all the time. I made a few tests on it, and basically I came to the conclusion that it does not slow your comp down at all. Not even a tiny bit. It always uses the processor only when you are not using it, so it really can't slow your comp down. As to safety, every time you install a program, you make your computer vulnerable to certain types of attacks. You just have to trust the maker of the program, kind of like trusting your rigger when he repacks your reserve. You can't really see it, you don't really know how it was done, but it could be really bad for you if it was done wrong. Same idea here. You know how we trust those riggers that we know? This program came from Stanford, and I trust them. Do you? If yes, install it. Hope that helped! -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #14 March 7, 2003 good explanation, thanks! let's go dz.commers, we have to save the world! or a few lives! or at least contribute in the easiest, laziest way possible. peacehttp://www.exitshot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #15 March 8, 2003 Hooray! Push and Andy are on the board! Check out the updated stats: http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/teampage?q=31515 Now I see why your computer took awhile to process that unit, Push. I have done all of the reading I can on this project, and it is different from SETI, in the workunit size is variable. The large/complex unit your computer was crunching is reflected by the high score of 47 for that single unit. There are apparently some HUGE units out there with scores of 73, and have been reported to take over 20 days to finish. You're right - this is no SETi@Home. The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RichM 0 #16 March 8, 2003 Thanks, I've installed a new screen saver and joined the team.Rich M Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #17 March 9, 2003 We're growing! A new name "piriya" showed up today... Not sure who it is, so let us know who you are! Here's the latest stats: http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/teampage?q=31515 A new line on my resume, or on my computer's resume? Protien folding Analyst The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #18 March 10, 2003 Two more on the board! We're starting to grow like a fungus. Only a good kind of fungus... "R2hubert" and "Lil'_Jon" showed up a short time ago. If you have already installed folding, and you aren't on the board yet, don't give up... From what I've read these things can take over 20 days to finish! In the meantime, it makes pretty pictures, and people at work will think you're really smart when they ask what kind of screen saver it is, and you tell them you're "analyzing protein folding, misfolding, aggregation, and related diseases." The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TB99 0 #19 March 10, 2003 Thanks! I did SETI for a while, but think this is way more important and useful! I'm running it now and have joined the team! Trailer 11/12 was the best. Thanks for the memories ... you guys rocked! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #20 March 10, 2003 I swear I must have a slow computer or a large work unit. 2.5 days and I'm still on the same work unit. Its at 75% right now... Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #21 March 10, 2003 I'm on my first work unit still too, size of 200... only 47% finished... sheesh. peacehttp://www.exitshot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #22 March 10, 2003 My work unit is a size of 400 Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #23 March 10, 2003 I think you are referring to the number of frames in your work unit. The frame sizes are different for different projects. Folding assigns a "Credit" value to each project that reflects how much work is required to "fold" a particular sequence. Work units that take more computations to complete are worth more "Credit" than those that finish very quickly. Hang in there. Curing diseases apparently requires patience. The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #24 March 10, 2003 Working on: p624_tz1_ext WU progress: 316/400 79 percent I don't mind it at all... but its weird seeign the CPU at 100% for 3 days now. And its a gig athlon so I woul'd expect really poor #'s.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #25 March 10, 2003 166/400 here, but this computer is used about 20-22 hours a day. That doesn't leave many processor cycles for folding, but it's getting there!It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
