FightAIDS@Home distributed computing project debuts
posted November 23rd 2005 5:40PM
If you're not already using those spare CPU cycles for the betterment of humanity, now you have a chance to use your
computer to help cure AIDS. Folding@home, the distributed computing project Stanford runs to collect data on how to
better find cures for protein-folding based diseases (like Alzheimer's and cancer) has a new ally — today Scripps
Research Institute launched FightAIDS@Home, a distributed computing project aimed solely at curing AIDS. Of course we'd
hate to lose members of Team Engadget's Folding@home
crew, but it's important to remember that if you have the ability to donate your spare CPU cycles to killing these
deadly diseases, you should do so no matter what, regardless of project or team — ultimately it's for an amazing cause.
And you bet your asses that as soon as FightAIDS@Home has a team ranking system set up there, we'll launch the
AIDS-busting franchise of Team Engadget.
[Via Yahoo News]
I have friends with HIV. I've watched them go through horrific problems. Please use this tool.
How many times have you walked away from your PC and just let it sit there running. One in three Americans now knows someone with HIV.
Help find a cure.. this takes no effort on your part. I've had this tool running for 3 days and have noticed zero change in how my PC operates.
Thank you Engadget for posting this.
JIM
There is already a member/team ranking facility on the website that's running this fightAIDS@home initiative - http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/
I don't quite understand how you can share your CPU cycles. Can someone explain?
well what it is is a program that downloads data into your computer, which is then processed, and then sent back to the main place. man since this just came out i have a sure fire chance to win one of those flash watches!!!
also, may i suggest making an engadget team for one of the many other ones, like seti@home for example. those use the BOINC infrastructure, which means that you dont need to have more than one client to do more than one project. this is helpful to people like me which have a dual core processor.
Normally, a computer has 100% of it's processor available at anyone time (naturally), and any processor power that isn't being used to power your applications, is used by an application called "System Idle Process" (check out your Windows Task Manager, so as to see as how high this is normally running at - most computers are just tickling the capabilities that they provide). The software that World Community Grid (WCG) provides (which, is safe - I've now been running it for many-a-month, with no problems), simply diverts these unused processor cycles into "number crunching capabiliites" (i.e., in the fight against AIDS).
If you visit the WCG website, it explains the process further (and, probably clearer than what I've just attempted to do so).
Hey thanks, Kevin and Francis. I'm assuming they encrypt their data heavily so that it can't get mussed up by any of the host computers.
Well, thanks for the tip Engadget, I'll have to see about trying it out.
No Mac client........
You can use the BOINC version for *nix and OS X
More details... http://boinc.berkeley.edu/
so im trying to get it to work with boinc, but its asking for an account number or something. how do i get that?
Hey, here's an idea:
Take those "Bitchboxes", spare PII's and III's and what not, throw them on the home network and give those old machines a new lease on life by bettering society!
I'm already digging out my spare PII to throw my miniature muscle into the fight!
The SETI@home project is interesting, but given the choice between curing disease and scanning space RF, we felt the choice was pretty clear which project(s) we were going to support.
Best, Ryan
Hmmm... I thought I was already fighting AIDS @ home by not having unsafe sex and not doing drugs.
Where's the fight Breast Cancer or fight hunger in Africa project?
#12, you seem to be implying that the only people affected by AIDS are those who have unsafe sex or do drugs. Unfortunately, many more people are affected, and many people didn't have a choice in whatever they got HIV from...... especially as a global problem. Trying to find a cure is certainly worthwhile. I really hope you weren't implying that somehow finding a cure for AIDS isn't as important because "only people who have unsafe sex or do drugs are affected by it".
Alright I've created a team named "Engadget" easy enough?
Join NOW!
fight hunger in Africa project
Curing aids would to a hell of a lot in fighting hunger in Africa. Also; how exactly do you want to use computer cycles in order to give people food?
As soon as the official engadget team is up I'll join in. Going to download the program now, though.
Is there a way I can donate my computer cycles to buy condoms and teach people how to use them? Or maybe to remove catholic missionaries from Africa, y'know, the ones that teach people that using a condom is a sin? If we spent the same money on prevention and education, instead of trying to 'cure' a disease that is constantly mutating, HIV wouldn't be a problem anymore. Of course, big pharma can't make any money off that, so it'll never happen. I think I'll stick with folding@home
Unfortunately it is quite possible for a pregnant woman to infect her child. It's called "second generation" HIV. Also, many women have contracted it after being raped by soliders in civil-war torn countries. Just two of the great ways that you can contract HIV through no fault at all of your own, Whiplash.
I could be mistaken, and I have no to-hand source, but 1-in-10 people world-wide are second-generation carriers. Note that I say carriers not sufferers, and also note that in some African countries the HIV infectancy rate is as high as 40%.
#19 - I'm sorry but just because you've seen some piece of rubbish documentary, doesn't mean it's right. HIV does cause AIDS. The research surrounding AIDS wasn't only carried out by pharmaceutical companies but by independent medical doctors. Your bizarre conspiracy theory doesn't help anyone.
You really ought not spread pernicious lies like this because the problem's big enough already.
This has to be more useful to society as a whole than scanning the skies for aliens.
Perhaps I'm just feeding the trolls, but when 2 out of 20 comments can be so narrow minded and missinformed (13 and 19) is incredible.
I have spent the last 10 years watching my best friends family wither slowly and painfully. His father was in a car accident in the mid 80s and received a bad blood transfusion. He went almost 10 years without being diagnosed. During this time his wife of 15 years also became infected and passed the infection on to their newborn daughter.
It's easy to blame the victims when you haven't experienced this first hand. But this was a kind, good hearted family that has suffered daily over the last 10 years. The father has since passed away and the mother's health is failing. None of this was earned.
Engadget,
It seems that the AIDS@Home automatically contributes your clock cycles towards all World Community Projects (FightAIDS@Home Project and the Human Proteome Project), which is good; but can you run Folding@Home with AIDS@Home at the same time on one client?
The reason I ask is that, these programs usually run off of the idle time. If the programs run on contigence of you computers idle, then won't that negate one of the two programs from running? I want to run both at the same time on one client. I would appreciate some insight. Thanks.
It seems that the Windows download link for the software is not working.
Climateprediction.net is no.1 for me. If you can't expect reasonable climate, cures for diseeses are not useful ... :(
so everyone join team : Engadget, we've already got 40 members.
Wow, nothing like a little controversy to make Engadget reading more interesting.
Working to cure any disease is certainly admirable. However, AIDS is a disease caused and spread by lifestyle choices. And honestly, this makes it kind of a "celebrity" cause, because God forbid we expect people to change thier behavior! Cancer on the other hand affects far more poeople and is comletely indiscriminate in who it attacks.
So I'm not saying that fighting AIDS is not a noble cause. But in my personal opinion, when one disease can be eradicated in a few generations by people simply choosing to conduct themselves in a moral fashion, I think time and money is better spent on other less "glamorous" or "politically correct" causes.
Yup, sure there are just tens of thousands of girls who are raped who wish they had a different lifestyle.
What BS that AIDS is a lifestyle disease. If society takes that approach then maybe it should let those with lung cancer die because they smoke. Eat fatty foods? You're out. Hell just let those injured in car accidents, caused by their own negligence, bleed on the side of the road.
Many forms of cancer are curable if treated early enough. Maybe those who wait too long should just be left to die. It was their decision not to get a check up.
Face it we live in a world where there will always be ignorance, stupidity and accidents. We have people who don't want to teach kids how sex works and how it could impact them. We have churches telling people in Africa not to use condoms. We have more and more people in the US not being able to afford basic health coverage.
I've seen friends die from cancer, AIDS, alcoholism, and accidents. Somehow when they're dying you don't really care how it happened. You just wish you could stop their suffering.
I did a benchmark test with MetaBench software and found that having the folding software running does NOT slow down your computer at ALL. You can also configure it to turn off when you unplug your laptop and turn back on when you plug your laptop back into an outlet, therefore you don't have to worry about your battery dieing. And while some laptops vary, my laptop charges at the same rate with folding running as with it not running.
25 years on and we've still got to deal with a weak, pathetic "lifestyle" argument?
Sigh.
Come on...Dec 1 was world AIDS day, and engadget didn't have a link to this on the site...that's crappy. (Folding at home's top 100 announcement was there tho)
My Son Has Aids, it is a Very Bad Sickness we must find a cure! It Doesnt Matter How you got this dreaded disease, it is a Matter of Finding A Cure Now!! The Medication that is taken now that Aids Patients take, makes them Deathly Ill... Please All Who reads this Pray for My Son!! Help Find A cure!! When You are Poor like my son it is hard for anyone to take you serious, Of course Magic Johnson has the Best of Everything Because He is Rich!! While the Poor Man Suffer's with this disease Hard, with Little help. If you have never seen anyone with this Disease it is One of the worst I have seen... My Son gets Very Lonley because He has No one, People are still so scared of Aids. I just wish there was a cure it may not be a death sentence when you get the disease but the pills make you very ill and weak. I Pray for All who is sick with Aids.. May God Be with You.. And Please Lets find the cure!