Sony PS3 working to cure alzheimers, cancer

[The NZA]

PS3 - Folding@home - its a cool concept: Stanford University is linking PS3s on a network to crunch numbers for them, while said systems arent in use, to run scenarios of folding proteins, a system they think might yield/accelearate research into curing alzheimers and various other diseases.

 

Its not an unprecedented idea, and there's slight controversy about the amout of power/wattage used, but most figures show the PS3 computing from 10-20x faster than your average PC, which is indeed impressive. Given the current lack of much software, personally, i think it makes sense to use the system for something like this if its not in active use much anyway, and again, its for a great cause. I personally plan to help where i can when i get one.

 

How it works

[The NZA]

I'm still pretty excited about getting a PS3 and joining this project, myself. In case youre wondering, here is how much itll cost you to leave it running, going on each state's charges...$15/month for FL, not too bad.

[Jables]

So... So the o/s is gonna cost? Is that the equivalent of a gold subscription on Live? 'Cause even so that's pretty fucking exxy.

[The NZA]

wait...what OS costs? I read the PS3 has its own but you can install linux, all that should be free. I meant, if you leave your system online 24/7 when youre not playing it just to run this program in standby mode, that's the cost youd spend per month in extra electricity charges, 's all. some people're concerned about the system's wear and tear, i guess thats valid but i only burnt out a ps1 after crazy years and never saw a ps2 die so im not as concerned.

[Jables]

Ahhh. So you don't have to subscribe to the new Sony 'Home' system?

[The NZA]

home is their network itself, its where all that sims shit i showed before is supposed to go down in october...this program, the protein folding thing, its optional with the latest update.

[bishopcruz]

I've been hearing talk that MS is going to be doing something similar with another folding research group, can't find the article at the moment though.

[Meltd0wn]

ive been using my pc for folding from time to time

[Jables]

Fuck is all this folding shit you kids are on about? Who even does laundry in this day and age?

[Meltd0wn]

folding is where you use your idle cpu time to do mathamatical equasions for science (In laymans terms)

 

The below is taken from the O.C.A.U forums all credit to them

 

Folding@Home is a program that Stanford university is running to help them research protein folding related diseases. These include some types of cancer and Alzheimers disease. It only uses idle CPU cycles, so if any other program needs to use the CPU, it lets it. Most people won't notice the program running at all.

 

It works like this: you download the client on to your computer and run it.

 

The client downloads something called a "Work Unit". This is the simulation that will be carried out.

 

Computer crunches the WU. When done, it sends the WU back to Stanford and downloads the next WU.

 

That's pretty much it. You get points for every WU you send back as an incentive to keep folding, and you can join or create teams for fun. If you want more info,

 

http://www.overclockers.com.au/folding/join.htm

 

http://folding.stanford.edu/

 

these are aussie deals im sure there is something the same in the states

[Meltd0wn]

also see

 

http://folding.stanford.edu/console-userguide.html

 

http://folding.stanford.edu/winstructions.html

 

http://folding.stanford.edu/download.html

 

i suggest trying it out lets help them help us in the future.

 

Ill even setup a folding club in the near future i just have to do the setuo again i had to reformat the other day :(

 

Everything here is from the O.C.A.U Forums and page you can visit the at www.overclockers.com.au

[Jables]

Well that was helpful.

 

See Nick? So bloody hard eh? :P

[Meltd0wn]

the program itself is only small you start it then leave it that simple you dont need much more knowledge than that