I get to be as self-indulgent as I want without wasting anyone's time. Guilt-free solipsism -- excellent!

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The Little Screensaver That Could

"In the five months since its launch in April, the Intel-United Devices Cancer Research Project has identified 60,000 molecules that may inhibit cancer growth. The Intel-UD software, which is a screensaver like SETI@Home and Folding@Home, searches for molecules that bind with cancer cells to prevent them from replicating."

I've had this screensaver running at work for about a year now, and recently downloaded it for home as well. Not only does it use your computer to do cancer research work while you're not at your desk (I leave my work computer on all night), it can even run unobtrusively when you are working. I can confirm that, if you have a half-decent computer, it will not impair your ability to work in the slightest. At home, we have an old laptop with too many MP3s on it, so for that machine, we set it to run only when the screensaver's on.

Anyway, download it! You can choose which projects you want your computer to work on! You can even watch it working on each molecule! My wife glanced at our computer screen the other day, and pointed out that, even in the midst of overwhelming sadness, "cancer research goes on." It feels good to be helping that to happen.
| posted by Alex at 1:51 PM