Most modern home computers are probably used to a small percentage of their true potential.

By modern, I mean if you use Microsoft XP, Vista, and all versions of Linux.

It's amazing how little of their power is used if you just email, the internet, social networking
sites, and office programs. Even if you're a hard core gamer, or use your machine for video editing,
which can be quite intensive, there are ways you can help the use the excess power of your system
to help towards helping the the health community.

It works like this. The calculations required for the complex protein and molecular interactions in the labroatory
and in the human body would need to be calculated by tremendously powerful super computers.

Imagine, if you will, that thousands, if not millions of lesser powered volunteer computers, did a little bit
each. Sent the results back to a base, fetched a bit more, did a little bit, send it back.

Is it easy to set up? Yes. It means downloading a simple program and running it, and following the instructions.

Would it get in the way of normal computing? - No. They are designed to slack off or go to sleep while you use your
system - if you want that. You tend to have a choice. Why - I'll get to that in a min :)

Will you get paid? Nope - they're volunteer projects.

Will they profit from my work? Possibly, but that's the way the world works. Any research needs funding, and
that's invariably commercial and voluntary . The important thing is that the research is done.

Are their any diabetic specific endeavours - not as far as I know. Please feel free to correct me.

What's available? The one's that come to mind are Docking@Home, which deals with researching new
pharmaceutical products, the very popular Folding@Home, which is similar, but simulates potential protein
folding combo's, and malaria@home.

I know of many others - mainly astronomy based, which I like :)

What's in it for you? Fun, company, and community. Most of these - called projects - have over the years formed into
teams. From the American Navy, to the team I belong to - Team phoenix Rising (gb) Not that you need to join a team.
As a little fun, you get a few points for each little bit of work you do, and often people like to see if they can see if they
can get more points than their team mates, and the teams like to have a little fun trying to beat other teams. Most
have league tables.

You don't need to be in any team to get help should you have problems . All have forums, where where you can ask questions
ranging from jokes, windows, hardware and freindly chat - and we all like making new friends :)

I'll update this post over the next few days with some appropriate links - gotta go Myth Busters is on!

Update :-

Folding at home, protein folding :-http://folding.stanford.edu/

Docking@Home - pharmaceutical - http://docking.cis.udel.edu/

And the team I'm in - we do a variety of projects. http://forums.teamphoenixrising.net/

Love Jamie and Adam - one reason I use Sky Plus. I can record it. Watch it when I can't sleep at 3am :)

Got visitors at the mo, I'll update links soon.

Oooh, I'm not showing that post to my missus :)

Nah, seriously - I apologise on behalf of men. Hogging the remote is a Man Thing. It's an inherited characteristic.

I believe it's a bug we catch at birth. H1 R1. His 1 Remote 1.

nice - I just signed up with this one:

http://cbl-boinc-server2.cs.technion.ac.il/superlinkattechnion/download_all.php

.. which lets my computer help out on processing needed for research into genetic 'stuff' which includes diabetes.

:)