Is Distributed Computing Being Distributed Badly?

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Distributed computing could help researchers studying climate change or Alzheimer's, but SETI@home's search for extra-terrestrial intelligence continues to dominate. Wall Street Journal columnist Lee Gomes says that's a big waste, especially because SETI doesn't seem likely to yield results: 'This continued fascination with living-room SETI comes as professional setiologists concede that early assumptions about the search for intelligent life -- notably those popularized by astronomer Carl Sagan -- have proven naively optimistic. For instance, it's now conceded there is little chance of detecting the "leaking" transmissions of another planet -- its version of "I Love Lucy" broadcasts. Those signals are too weak to stand out from the universe's background noise.' Gomes also traces the origins of SETI@home to Berkeley computer scientist David P. Anderson, and explains that users stuck with the ET search rather than medical investigations in part because of nationalistic competition. Yet Anderson no longer runs SETI@home. 'Instead, he donates his spare computer power to a global warming project. But he doesn't presume to tell others what they ought to be doing with their CPU cycles.'"

Comments

Amendment

[Glacial Wanderer]

I hope congress doesn't read Slashdot or the next thing you know they will be proposing a new amendment to the constitution to fix this. It would fit in perfectly after the amendments to limit gay marriage and flag burning.

Re:Crunching for their profit

[Joffy]

Heaven forbid that if they found a cure to cancer and it wasn't profitable to make due to an expensive manufacturing process, they would wait until it became profitable while people die.

Special security

[amightywind]

I guess I meant to say I am strip searched before I can get on a plane. And yes I get that special attention too, as a white male traveling alone. But I cooperate because I have nothing to hide and wish to contribute in restoring peace of mind to my fellow travelers that the Islamists took away. I would think your wife would be more apologetic for the transgressions of her brothers in faith.