Use your computer to solve global problems

Switching off your computer saves energy, but if left on ‘sleep’ it can potentially help save lives.

Research scientists need people willing to run small, free, non-invasive software programmes that work like screensavers on their PCs. They run when your computer isn’t being used, and process research until you need your machine again. The project never interrupts your usual PC use, but it can help find a cure for cancer or process climate change predictions. Making something happen while you have forty winks? Sounds good!

Check it out at one of these addresses:

United Devices Cancer Research Project
BBC Climate Change Experiment

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Discuss

  1. gingajen gingajen
    London N4, GB , 13 Nov 2006

    I was a bit worried about what might happen to my computer, but nothing bad has happened yet and it seems like an ingenious idea. I am running the cancer project program – the climate change one does not work on laptops since funnily enough, it makes them overheat.

  2. Z Z
    13 Nov 2006

    I started doing this a few weeks ago and had the same concerns as gingajen but no problems yet. Been using one I found on www.worldcommunitygrid.org and you get the options of swopping between different projects, an AIDS one, a cancer one and another I don’t properly understand but looks good!! Provides a much more interesting screen saver than that the standard microsoft windows ones. You get points for how much your computer does for the projects and you can have a team entry – maybe YOLG can create a team??

  3. harrison family harrison family
    16 Nov 2006

    we’ve been doing the bbc climate change one for a couple of months with no probs and the turning globe is v nice to contemplate! still want advice on the relative energy savings of leaving the computer standing by vs. turning it off and on again…can anyone tell us how much energy is used to start up the thing after closing it down, compared to leaving it on standby? what is the optimum length of time beyond which it’s better to switch right off?

  4. harrison family harrison family
    16 Nov 2006

    i’ve just read the info on the generous action ‘switch it off at the plug: don’t stand by’, with relation to the above question. it seems this one is a second-best, but oh well, life is full of compromises. we’ll carry on muddling along between the two!

  5. Lizchrisdavies Lizchrisdavies
    10 Jan 2007

    sounds like a good idea.Will start today

  6. wimblejigs wimblejigs
    Eastleigh, GB , 08 May 2007

    Hi all. This is the one that’s installed on my computer: http://folding.stanford.edu/

    It’s to do with how proteins fold in people’s bodies, and understanding this will help with diseases like alzheimer’s and parkinson’s disease.

    But I don’t leave the computer on standby, this programme works in the background using spare computing power – or if I pop to the loo or whatever, so don’t think that you have to leave the computer on for any longer than normal…

  7. Kathryn Kathryn
    Stroud, GB , 11 May 2007

    bother….both the things you suggest seem to have closed now. Will investigate the parkinsons/alzheimers option in the morning…but time to switch off all electrics and head to bed now I think.

  8. Z Z
    20 May 2007

    The cancer project has finished but World Community Grid is still working on others. I’m currently signed up to a Muscular Dystrophy one. See www.worldcommunitygrid.org

  9. russnh russnh
    Beckenham, GB , 05 Dec 2007

    The first web site is now out of date. Use this one instead:

    http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/

    russnh