Although the program hasn't found E.T., the astronomers' success has drawn fresh players into the game - some aiming to do good works, others to make money, and some to do both. The latest entry is backed by none other than Intel Corp., whose prestige will help move distributed computing into the mainstream. These molecules are astoundingly complex, and evaluating all the possible combinations would take approximately 24 million hours of computing time, Intel says. At UD's home page, you can sign up for other projects, too, including one that uses your PC to search mathematically through DNA sequences that underlie the human genome, looking for patterns that eventually could help scientists researching birth defects and genetic diseases. This field, known as bioinformatics, is a form of research that requires vast, brute-force computing power.
Some projects offer prizes or cash awards to encourage volunteers.
Although distributed computing sounds like a rare win-win concept, some are not thrilled with the idea. Until now, Juno has offered limited free connections to users in return for staring at a banner advertising panel that won't go away while they surf the Web. Unfortunately, Web advertising revenues are crashing, and most other free providers have started charging or gone out of business. But Juno took another approach earlier this year, changing its terms of service to require its users to download software that processes data on Juno's behalf. The change soon could require users to leave their computers running 24 hours a day and allow the software to dial Juno's servers even when the customer isn't at home.