Re: ::scr Seti@Home & Global Warming

[David Cantrell <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, May 17, 2002 at 11:54:01AM +0100, Dave Turner wrote:

> Should projects like Seti@Home or The Grid be accountable for the
> resources that are consumed for their projects?

Perhaps it would be better-phrased "should science be run by accountants".

Now, you could argue that Seti@Home and their ilk are not science.  Trouble
is, it's generally not possible to say in advance which experiments and
which theories will bear useful fruit.  Seti@Home *might* detect alien life,
which would certainly be new knowledge.  It has also helped push back the
boundaries of computer science by providing a case-study for methods in how
to (and how not to!) run large distributed projects.

Other similar projects, like d.net's hunt for OGRs, and Folding@Home, are
doing real science too.

-- 
David Cantrell    |    Degenerate    |    http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

   Educating this luser would be something to frustrate even the
   unflappable Yoda and make him jam a lightsaber up his arse
   while screaming "praise evil, the Dark Side is your friend!".
                              -- Derek Balling, in the Monastery