Results:
Over the past four and a half months, my computer has been used to help with the grid computing efforts of the BOINC database. BOINC runs many different programs to help with a variety of research. We specifically wanted to help with the Rosetta@Home project which includes the research of HIV, malaria, cancer, and Alzheimer's. My computer was used for many different projects and probably played a role in researching the protein folding for these diseases.
Reflections:
Kush; Overall, I think that grid computing is very efficient way
of solving many problems that require computing power. Over about a four-month span, it was
interesting to see how we were able to contribute to the rest of the grid using
Eric’s computer. We were able to help
the BOINC database, which is comprised of a number of different programs that
work on research in many different fields including malaria, HIV, cancer, and
Alzheimer’s disease. It’s likely that Eric’s
computer helped contribute to research involved with protein folding for some
of these diseases. This was a novel
experience for me because I had never known about grid computing and its
capabilities prior to our class. I also
thought it was cool because this was one of the few times I've done a service
project that relied so heavily on technology.
Raunak: Throughout this program, I have learned a lot. I had
known about Alzheimer's disease before but never actually looked much into it.
This project was a great way to learn more. However the highlight of this
project was the grid computing. The fact that we are able to help further the
research of this disease. I thought it was an incredibly insightful and
innovative idea to use multiple computers around the world and have them work
together towards a common cause. This teamwork is just what the scientific community
needs. Another thing that this project made me think about is the implications
of having a disease that disables my memory. It made me think about whether or
not I would want such to know if I will end up with this disease. I know I said earlier that I would want to
know but, frankly, I'm still not really sure. Knowing has its benefits but
it also has it's downsides. Either way, I am fortunate to not have any family
history of it so no need to worry about it, for now. I am just glad we were
able to help further the research for those people that do and work towards making their lives
and their families' lives a better one.
Brandi: I really enjoyed this service learning project. I had never heard
of grid-computing before and I think it is a very productive way of
contributing to research without really having to do much. Before doing this
project I didn't really know much about Alzheimer's but I was very excited to
learn more about it because my grandfather suffered from this disease. I found
it very interesting that the degenerative part of Alzheimer's disease has a
path in which it travels throughout the brain. Due to us knowing this, I
think we are on a good path of hopefully finding a cure someday
and hopefully it is sooner than later.
Eric: Overall, this project was a really interesting way to get involved in scientific research without really having to do much. While having the program downloaded on my computer, I first had to mess with the settings quite a bit so that I could actually use my computer efficiently while still allowing the program to run. After I was able to figure out what settings were necessary, I just checked it every once in a while to see what it was doing. This project taught me a lot about grid computing and Alzheimer's in a way that was unique and interesting.
