russkris
5th March 2007, 09:32 PM
March 1, 2007 5:12 p.m. EST
Danielle Godard - All Headline News Staff Writer
Toronto, ON (AHN) - Idle computers are being put to work all over the world for the good of humanity in a global information community.
York University announced Thursday it was the latest to sign onto the World Community Grid, a network that uses a network of idle PCs to work on problems that plague humanity like cancer, muscular dystrophy and AIDS.
Anyone can download the secure software to their home PC, which will only kick in when the computer is officially idle.
From there, scientists trying to crunch figures and data for certain humanitarian efforts can use the idle PCs memory to create a super-server of computers that calculate data.
York's vice president of research and innovation Stan Shapson said: "It's amazing the difference we can make as individuals by simply joining World Community Grid and pooling our collective resources."
So far the global network had great success computing data that develops cures for diseases lyme disease, tuberculosis and malaria - a feat that might have taken years but instead only took months.
York is now championing the recruitment of many of its 50,000 students and 7,000 alumni to become members on the World Community Grid in the hope they make a difference in current projects.
"With a community of researchers, staff, students and alumni as large as we have, and as a university dedicated to contributing to global research opportunities, York University will be able to make a significant and measurable addition toward this effort," Shapson said.
Worldwide, there are over 260,000 members of the Grid offering up their idle PCs, which in turn have crunched enough data to represent about 78,500 years on one computer.
Found HERE (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006615115)
Danielle Godard - All Headline News Staff Writer
Toronto, ON (AHN) - Idle computers are being put to work all over the world for the good of humanity in a global information community.
York University announced Thursday it was the latest to sign onto the World Community Grid, a network that uses a network of idle PCs to work on problems that plague humanity like cancer, muscular dystrophy and AIDS.
Anyone can download the secure software to their home PC, which will only kick in when the computer is officially idle.
From there, scientists trying to crunch figures and data for certain humanitarian efforts can use the idle PCs memory to create a super-server of computers that calculate data.
York's vice president of research and innovation Stan Shapson said: "It's amazing the difference we can make as individuals by simply joining World Community Grid and pooling our collective resources."
So far the global network had great success computing data that develops cures for diseases lyme disease, tuberculosis and malaria - a feat that might have taken years but instead only took months.
York is now championing the recruitment of many of its 50,000 students and 7,000 alumni to become members on the World Community Grid in the hope they make a difference in current projects.
"With a community of researchers, staff, students and alumni as large as we have, and as a university dedicated to contributing to global research opportunities, York University will be able to make a significant and measurable addition toward this effort," Shapson said.
Worldwide, there are over 260,000 members of the Grid offering up their idle PCs, which in turn have crunched enough data to represent about 78,500 years on one computer.
Found HERE (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006615115)