Expanding 'the grid' to save lives

Scientists are turning ordinary citizens into stakeholders in the latest breakthroughs by harnessing the power of the humble home computer.

Voluntary computer schemes allow scientists to farm out some of the 'number crunching' which has to be done in major research programmes.

Reconstructing the conditions of the early universe, combating a deadly disease and even finding extra-terrestrial life may use 'grid computing'.

Simon Lin, of the Taipei-based research institute Academia Sinica, told the BBC World Service's Digital Planet that grid computing in Asia was helping change the approach to research.

He explained that voluntary computing may help research aimed at developing drugs from dengue fever, which is found in less developed countries.

Big pharmaceutical companies did not necessarily have enough incentive to develop a drug for the condition but grid computing cou;d offer a solution and lead to a drug screening programme, Mr Lin added.
He went on: "The results will be shared by the researchers who will be interested in developing drugs for this particular disease."

On the issue of computer security, Mr Lin said: "Actually, if you download these applications from the genuine volunteer company site then it should be quite safe.

"On the other hand, if the user turned out to be a hacker...they might be able to take the data they are working on. But the chances are remote because usually the data has been split, so even a real hacker can get only a small piece of data. He would not be able to see the big picture."

He explained that the one key benefit of grid computing is the cost factor.

Major change
Mr Lin added: "The cost is definitely much much lower. And secondly we see the strategic importance that we must get the Asian people into scientific collaboration. This is something they are less familiar with.

"I think this is part of the a very long term shift or transition. Eventually science in the 21st Century will have to be conducted in a different way.

"We see these great changes in internet and digital technology has brought to us but the scientific process hasn't really changed that much and this volunteer computing is one of the potential directions that may change the way we conduct scientific research."

Mike Butcher, Europe editor of technology blog TechCrunch, explained that there were incentives for people to join up to such schemes.

He said: "Well there is of course an altruistic imperative, you can actually get to feel good. You are contributing to scientific research and the search for UFOs or possibly even something to cure cancer.

"A lot of these systems now offer a credit system, whereby you might yourself be able to submit experiments or things you want to research to the system and then because you have built up enough credits in the system, you can get something done yourself.

"This is going to appeal a lot of the time to academic researchers but one can see in the future that there will be a time when people can access grid computing just for personal projects."
source:BBC News

April. 30, 09

Computer as a machine

A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century (1940–1945), although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier. Early electronic computers were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers.

Modern computers are based on tiny integrated circuits and are millions to billions of times more capable while occupying a fraction of the space. Today, simple computers may be made small enough to fit into a wristwatch and be powered from a watch battery.

Personal computers, in various forms, are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "a computer"; however, the most common form of computer in use today is the embedded computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices that are used to control other devices — for example, they may be found in machines ranging from fighter aircraft to industrial robots, digital cameras, and children's toys.

The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely versatile and distinguishes them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis is a mathematical statement of this versatility: any computer with a certain minimum capability is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks that any other computer can perform.

Therefore, computers with capability and complexity ranging from that of a personal digital assistant to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks given enough time and storage capacity.

EDSAC was one of the first computers to implement the stored program (von Neumann) architecture.

Motherboards

The motherboard, also referred to as systemboard or mainboard, is the primary circuit board within a personal computer. Many other components connect directly or indirectly to the motherboard.

Motherboards usually contain one or more CPUs, supporting circuitry - usually integrated circuits (ICs) - providing the interface between the CPU memory and input/output peripheral circuits, main memory, and facilities for initial setup of the computer immediately after power-on (often called boot firmware or, in IBM PC compatible computers, a BIOS).

In many portable and embedded personal computers, the motherboard houses nearly all of the PC's core components. Often a motherboard will also contain one or more peripheral buses and physical connectors for expansion purposes. Sometimes a secondary daughter board is connected to the motherboard to provide further expandability or to satisfy space constraints.

The Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The central processing unit, or CPU, is that part of a computer which executes software program instructions. In older computers this circuitry was formerly on several printed circuit boards, but in PCs is a single integrated circuit. Nearly all PCs contain a type of CPU known as a microprocessor.

The microprocessor often plugs into the motherboard using one of many different types of sockets. IBM PC compatible computers use an x86-compatible processor, usually made by Intel, AMD, VIA Technologies or Transmeta.

Apple Macintosh computers were initially built with the Motorola 680x0 family of processors, then switched to the PowerPC series (a RISC architecture jointly developed by Apple Computer, IBM and Motorola), but as of 2006, Apple switched again, this time to x86-compatible processors by Intel.

Modern CPUs are equipped with a fan attached via heat sink.