Telescope Reviews: BOINC Projects-All You Need To Know!

BOINC, short for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, is a computing infrastructure that was initially developed for the SETI project. However, today it is used for a vast variety of projects that include everything from the latest protein analysis to searching for the largest prime number.

So how does it work?

1. Your computer connects to the project network
2. It downloads any files and work units related to the project
3.Your PC computes these Work Units (WU's) during its free time, or when you are not using all of your CPU power
4.It uploads files
5.And finally your WUs are reported and given credit

While more technical users may like to tweak around with BOINC, all users can rest assure that once you join a project, the BOINC project manager will take care of the rest!

What is this credit?
-In an effort to keep track of how much each person contributes to a project the credit was set up. The actual calculation depends on the project, but it rests in the same theory. You get a certain number of credits for the amount of work your computer puts into the WU. The ideal average was 30 credits, but faster and more complex applications have caused for a more widespread credit program. It's best to see with each project.

So here I am babbling on about all these projects, and I haven't given you any sense of the projects, or links to them!

BOINC PROJECTS-Order is irrevelant, I am not trying to emphasize one project over another

-SETI at home-The original one that started it all, the search for Extra Terrestrial signals!

-Einstein-In recognition of the great mastermind this studies and searches for pulsars! (spinning neutrono stars)

-Stardust-The latest project, a bit of a modified BOINC application, YOU the individual search for stardust through a Virtual Microscope!

-LHC-Take part in experiments for the particle accelerator at CERN!

-ClimatePrediction.net-Model weather paterns

-BBC Climate Change Experiment-Model the future of Earth similar to the Climate Prediction yet unique in its own way!

-Rosetta-Help medicine by searching for the lowest folding protein!

I will be adding some more projects and info when time permits, but these are definetly enough to get one started, these projects are in their Official Stage of operation, most other BOINC projects are in Testing stages, alpha stages, and beta stages.

A complete list of server status and projects is available at Boinc Synergy and Boinc Stats

In the meantime, happy crunching!

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-Stefan

"It’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the end." -Douglas Adams

Current Scopes: "Gator" William Optics 66SD---Black Swan William Optics Megrez 80 II ED Triplet---Zhumell 10" Dob
-Sirius Mount---Canon Rebel XT-
Past Scopes: ETX 90---Vixen ED80Sf

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