'soup guys
since this is somewhat related i decided to post it here instead of another thread.
Foldit is a revolutionary new computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. This page describes the science behind Foldit and how your playing can help.
http://fold.it/so even if running a lil smp on your 65W processor is a snore, take a gander at this maybe this will tickle your fancy.
now for some srs business.
I've been thinking the reason some people may not be folding is more than just digital bystander apathy but also because of a serious lack of WHAT folding is...we know what it is meant to accomplish but not WHAT it really is.
After a hair pulling amount of google-fu and some srsly out-of-my-league chemistry i have reached the conclusion... proteins are fking badass. let me break it down to what i understand it to be:
proteins are made up of amino acids...these fuckers are less complex than protiens but they aint no H
2O molecule don't be fooled. these proteins start of as 2d strings and through the folding process create a 3d molecule that performs some required\needed function.
These amino acids determine the way the protein folds and what role that macro molecule will play.
It is capable of folding in less time it takes a neuron to fire in your brain. (think ns not ms) this is also why distributed computing is necessary for the research. it happens too fast for observable science to gather any usable data. taking a page straight out of the physicist if we can't observe it and we can't use math quickly enough to understand it...SIMULATE THAT FUCKER!
MATH AND EVERYONE'S PC TO THE RESCUE!
in order to figure out what protein folds (or mis-folds as the case can be sometimes) into what protein structure, the 2d protein is taken and a computer is used to simulate the folding, however, this is such a complex process that a single computer would never be able to finish a single fold in a timely enough manner to make the research progress. So a large database of proteins was developed and using a distributed client, a single possible protein fold is given to a user to figure out (the work unit).
now for the geekout part...
if we overlook the biological nature of the proteins and then look at the way it works...
we have small building blocks (atoms, molecules, ions, zwitters, etc) that make up larger components
amino acids, that in turn combine to give us, you guessed it, proteins.
wow
diodes, transistors, resistors -> addin cards -> systems
lets look at it harder now
the protein fold is determined by the amino acids in the structure...it determines the fold and the fold in turn performs a role...
this is like building a machine...that programs itself...
fking terminator shit yo
however...this is all capable of occurring in under a few nano seconds...
shit brix
biological structures...surpassing your i7 any day...
correct, add, remove as you see fit.
would like to suggest the veteran folders come together and maybe make a sticky to promote the geekier side of the folding...maybe if we could get ppl excited about what the science is behind it we could pull more ppl. Proteins that have roles determined by the sum of their parts. This shit is fucking fascinating.
also the production of screenshot(ed) guides for setting up linux smp/uni clients would be great for the new guys even with all the resources out there, a picture speaks a 1000 words etc etc
gtg
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