PS3 cures cancer

[5tatic]

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/728/728301p1.html

Via a partnership between Sony and the Folding@home distributed computing project, a client is being developed that will allow idle Cell Processors to turn their considerable computational power from crunching the polygons that makeup curvaceous videogame breasts to crunching the math of folding proteins that hold the secret to curing cancer. Like the old SETI@home project that harnessed idle PCs to analyze masses of data collected by radio telescopes in hopes of discovering signals from another world, the Folding@home project will rely upon an army of PlayStation 3s rather than expensive super computers.



Good excuse eh :P

[SA most wanted]

Just what we need....

Some old lady buying a PS3 on launch day, just to help get a cure for here sickly husband, while the real gamers go without.


** It is a good idea though

[Skiller]

Thanks for the news, I just read the article, But I don't get how playing a PS3 will help prevent cancer....

[Xan]

Oh. I run BOINC whenever my PC just stands there and does nothing

[cyrix]

People seem to forget that the main idea behind the cell processor was distributed computational power. IE: Across networks. So let's say you're running a network at a university and the mail server is getting bogged down, however all the machines you ordered for the administration, faculty, other servers, etc.. have Cell CPU's in them, the load can be distributed across the network (and most college networks infastructures are insanely fast) thus giving you breathing room.

This is just a step beyond that, and to be honest I'm really fascinated by the idea.

[Shadow Conception]

Thanks for the news, I just read the article, But I don't get how playing a PS3 will help prevent cancer....

It uses its insane computational ability to help discover the cause and cure for different types of cancer.

http://www.ps3portal.com/ps3/article/485.html

[Piggus]

I don't get why some people are bashing Sony for this. I think it's a nifty idea. I will cirtainly participate in it when I get my PS3.

For those of you still confused, cancer research requires a lot of CPU power. So when your PS3 is not in use, you can have it send some of this unused power across the web to be combined with the power of many other PS3s. As Cyrix said, Cell was designed for this task. IBM, Sony, and Toshiba were talking about it way before the PS3 was even shown for the first time. In fact the first time I read about the Cell being able to do this was nearly four years ago. :P

[Lauwee]

Just another reason why Doctors are slowly becoming obsolete.

Good news tbh.

[Olin]

Obsolete? What the hell? Whatever you say..