Wired writes about “How Gamers Can Help Cure Cancer,” discussing distributed computing. The basic idea has been around for a long time, from distributed.net to Seti@Home and many others. I used to run these things, but I’m no longer convinced they give good bang for the buck. Today, many processors, especially those in laptops, can throttle back to use significantly less energy when the processor is idle. On my laptop, this means the fan isn’t running, the system is cooler, and it uses less energy. It is hot in DC right now, so any excess heat has to be removed by our air conditioning, making it even more expensive to run. Say it costs $10/month to run your PC, including air conditioning, wear and tear, etc. Would it be better to donate $120/yr to your favorite cause? I’m thinking yes.
Something to say?