|
WHAT IS FOLDING PROTEINS & FOLDING@HOME??? |
|
|
 
by seafsee
OR "FOLDING@HOME 4 DUMMIES"
This article is intended to: - Show you why Folding@Home is something you too can do!
- Consolidate
important information about “Folding Proteins” in one place, without
the necessity of combing through all the posts, looking for answers.
It is still worthwhile to check them out at some future point in time by clicking this.
If you agree, read on!
...//* * - - * * * - - - * * * * - - - - * * * * * - - - - * * * * - - - * * * - - * *//...
OK! So why should I do this?
| Ikeb wrote: | | So how do we convince folks that F@H is something they should do? |
| virus4dummies wrote: | | If
I may speak as a non-techie what you really need to do is convince
folks that F@H is something they can do. I read the forum topic but had
no idea what it meant to run a distributed computing client. I didn't
realize it took so little input from me other than downloading the
software. Since I was able to get it up and running, anybody could. |
In a nutshell: It sounds scientific and it is; it sounds difficult, but it’s not.
THE BASICS:
The only skills, you as an end-user need, are ones you’ve used many
times on the internet. If you’ve ever downloaded and installed a
screensaver, or instant messenger, you have all the skills and
knowledge you need to “fold” and join our team, “CASTLE COPS” over at
Folding@Home in the fight to find a cure for many complex diseases;
Cancer, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), Mad Cow or Bovine
Spongiform Encephalitis (BSE), and it's human form Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease (CJD), to name some that acutely affect a great many people .
We are simply trying to bring this marvelous program to everyone’s attention. The main objective is the DESIRE to do something for the benefit of humankind. Joining our
team would show your appreciation for the help you’ve received by the
dedicated staff and volunteers here at Castle Cops. In fact, you could
set up your own team!
PLACES TO GO; THINGS TO DO:
To download the program and get started, quick jump to here:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegrou...nload.html
For more information about folding, this is the home page:
http://folding.stanford.edu/
Download the client, and/or run it from Stanford. There are
different versions available. For Windows users, new version 5 can be
run as a graphical client or screensaver. The graphic version will
always run in the background; it sits in the system tray down by the
clock, uses very little resources, and releases them WHEN YOU NEED TO USE THEM. There is also the client version, and versions for Macintosh and Linux.
When setting up, you will be asked for a user name and a password. If you are asked for a team number, Castle Cops is 35586. If the option isn’t there, or you miss it, fear not.
When finished installing. and running, an icon resembling a red atom
(or an ICQ icon) will be in the system tray. Right-click this for a
menu, then choose “Configure”. Under the “User” tab, you should see the user name you chose. Under that is where you would enter 35586 for the Computer Cops team.
These two settings can be changed at anytime and apply to work units in progress and any future ones as well.
BACKGROUND:
I was surprised to see the history of Grid Computing go back as far as 1986!
The original vision of grid computing was to be able to use computing resources as easily as a power grid.
http://folding.stanford.edu/
| stanford.edu wrote: | | ….which harnesses the power of multiple CPU’s…. |
http://www.grid.org/about/gc/
| grid.org wrote: | | Grid
computing is a form of distributed computing that involves coordinating
and sharing computing, application, data, storage, or network resources
across dynamic and geographically dispersed organizations. Grid
technologies promise to change the way organizations tackle complex
computational problems. However, the vision of large scale resource
sharing is not yet a reality in many areas — Grid computing is an
evolving area of computing, where standards and technology are still
being developed to enable this new paradigm. |
Huh? Run That By Me Again!
Let’s try an analogy.The
Pharaoh of Egypt wants to build this giant monument/tomb (working
title: Giant Triangle). It is huge, bigger than anything else the Earth
has ever seen. There is one drawback though. The Pharaoh cannot father
enough children, let alone, enough sons to help him in this quest! He
finds the concept intriguing, but it is not practical.
Upon consulting his High Priest, he learns there are many unemployed
Egyptians that can be called upon to help with the task at hand. The
High Priest also suggests calling this marvel a Pyramid, but that is another story.
Basically, what would have taken a worn out Pharaoh, and his ever
growing family, a very long time to build, can now be achieved in a
single generation!
The High Priest was later sacrificed to the god RA.
HOW IT WORKS:
Normally speaking, if you are not doing any thing on your computer it is basically idle and has what is called unused clock cycles.
When you are doing something, your PC still has unused clock cycles,
(unless your task is CPU intensive, like converting video), mainly
because humans are not capable of inputting information quickly enough
for the computer. When you run Folding@Home, it becomes active when
there are "unused clock cycles” (unemployed Egyptians) on your machine!
It releases them when YOU need them. It is designed to not interfere with what you normally would do on your PC.
Now, please, just don’t ask me to explain how it does this.
Vijay Pande is the man responsible for the program.
{NOTE: If this link is unavailable, you can download the article HERE (It will be a compressed .doc file)}
| DaveMo wrote: | As I understand it. Folding@Home is a form of "Distributed Computing"
What Stanford is trying to do is duplicate the process of protein
folding. Protein folding is a natural occurrence in our bodies and
affects a lot of our health factors. A protein folds in less than a
"nano-second" For Stanford to track and analyze these occurrences would
take them about 30 years with the computers they have. So they
developed a program that would allow "other" computers to assist them
in this quest. You download and install the program. It contacts the
Stanford server and receives a "Work Unit" and downloads it to your
computer. Your computer then analyzes the process and when complete,
uploads the information to the Stanford Server. The only information
that is "uploaded" to the Stanford server is the completed work unit
and your "log in identity" The program only processes data when you are
in "idle" state. So you continue to use your computer normally, with no
CPU’s going to the program, but when you’re not using your system, it
starts working on the program.
Computer Cops has a team that is folding. If you join the team,
Folding@Home records both the "WU's" under your log in, and adds your
completed units to the team stats also.
I feel this is a very worthwhile project, and allows me to contribute.
It is also fun to watch your stats grow and watch the team standing
move up in rank. Hope you decide to join us. |
Several members thought that touched all the bases.
As a final word on the matter I give you this. | Rodders wrote: | Yesterday
I couldn't even fold a handkerchief and yet today I'm contributing to
an international molecular physics project. Just wait until I tell my
mum!
I signed-up only this afternoon and completed my first WU for Cops earlier this evening (BST)
Just so long as I'm not expected to wash and iron the damn things as well, I'll be perfectly happy. |
Imagine!
No washing, no ironing! No experience needed!
IT’S EASY !!!
Come join us.
|
|
|
 |
| "WHAT IS FOLDING PROTEINS & FOLDING@HOME???" | Login/Create an Account | 0 comments |
|
| | The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content. |
|
|
|
No Comments Allowed for Anonymous, please register |
|
| |
|
Login |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
· New User? · Click here to create a registered account.
|
|
|
Article Rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average Score: 4
Votes: 4
|
|
|
