What is this F@H?

SirKenin · 09-29-2006, 11:54 PM

Hmmm. Interesting. Forgive me for being skeptical. I can only recall the SETI@home debacle, where they took advantage of thousands of computers to search for something that doesn't exist, they found no proof of existing, and they wasted a shitload of bandwidth and computing power proving absolutely nothing.

So, every time I hear of a distributed computing venture, I get leary.

**magicman** · 09-30-2006, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirKenin

Hmmm. Interesting. Forgive me for being skeptical. I can only recall the SETI@home debacle, where they took advantage of thousands of computers to search for something that doesn't exist, they found no proof of existing, and they wasted a shitload of bandwidth and computing power proving absolutely nothing.

So, every time I hear of a distributed computing venture, I get leary.

I can see your point, when this team was first set up, SETI@Home was very briefly discussed as a dist. comp. alternative, then just as quickly dismissed as being less "immediately applicable" than F@H.

Why don't you take the plunge and join in yourself? If you're not convinced within 30 days, you'll get a full refund of your clock cycles...

Arm_Pit · 09-30-2006, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragon2309

Thats very hard to say, there have of course been lots of medical breakthroughs over the years, it would be impossible to say whether or not these would have happened or not without people like us and the millions of others folding protien strands. All that really matters is that your helping and you are donating something which doesnt directly cost you for the good of medical research and the aid of other people that might some-day need it.

It costs nothign and you would be helping millions upon millions of people worldwide.

dragon

Actually it would be easy to say, There have been found cures for things, Weather F@H helped any of it would be anwsered by the simple question of, Did they use any of the rereash provided by F@H, as far as i know, and as far as 6 months ago at least, Nothing has been found out by F@H that i could find out.

You would only be helping millons if a cure was actually found using it.

**magicman** · 09-30-2006, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arm_Pit

You would only be helping millons if a cure was actually found using it.

Anybody who has studied a subject to degree level or beyond and has a grasp of academic science, will understand that f@h is doing a lot of good, whether the 'cure' that people are looking for is obtained within the first few years of the project or not. These are very complex problems, and the path to a cure is not a straight one. But you can't dismiss the project out of hand, because the path needs to be trod nonetheless.

**SFR** · 09-30-2006, 01:46 AM

I think magicman has made if very clear that there is a pre-exiting thread and you can post in that thread.

09-30-2006, 01:46 AM	#15 (permalink)
SFR SUPER MODERATOR Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: San Diego, USA Age: 24 Posts: 3,920	I think magicman has made if very clear that there is a pre-exiting thread and you can post in that thread. __________________ The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers. ~Sydney J. Harris I haven't lost my mind; I have a tape back-up somewhere. What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left. ~Oscar Levant Relax, its only Ones and Zeros

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

09-29-2006, 11:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
SirKenin banned Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 4,711	Hmmm. Interesting. Forgive me for being skeptical. I can only recall the SETI@home debacle, where they took advantage of thousands of computers to search for something that doesn't exist, they found no proof of existing, and they wasted a shitload of bandwidth and computing power proving absolutely nothing. So, every time I hear of a distributed computing venture, I get leary.