World Community Grid-Our Contribution and Reflection

Our Contribution

The Grid computing was done via the WorldCommunityGrid and it was run using the BOINC agent on the Macbook Pro of one of the group members.

Results since January 21, 2015 when the project began running

Table 1 shows the totals for our service project. The total time run was a little more than 16 days. The points generated were 53,239 which is based on the computer's computing power (fast or slow) and the specific research project such as "Outsmart Ebola Together" listed in the second table. The computing power is important because it takes into account the fact that the same work unit is compared no matter what the computing power is of the computer so the statistics can be universally use. There is also a safeguard for people trying to tamper with the statistics to make it look like their computer did more work than it actually did.

Table 2 shows the project name and the break down of points generated for that project, the results returned, and the time run. The results returned by our group are determined after the points have been validated. The formula can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOINC_Credit_System. The results help in cancer treatment and solar energy research.

Reflection

Our particular topic was on Neurological disorders, but the medical cause is the same: to better people's health!

This service project put in perspective the technological advances that can potentially change the future of disease. With these programs running in the background of more and more computers the possibilities are endless. Grid computing is still rather innovative, but spreading the word starting with Dr. Walker telling us, and our class spreading the word to more and more students, grid computing can take the research world by storm.

This project was one of the most fascinating forms of service that anyone in our group had ever done. To be honest, none of us even knew that the ability to do this existed until we got to this class. The idea that we are able to assist in ongoing research simply by downloading and running a program is incredible. The topic that our group chose to do our project on also turned out to be very fascinating, because not only did it deal with evolutionary biology and psychology, but it also had a strong connection to the medical field which is what many of the people in our group are pursuing.